Attacks damage power grid and Kiev is in the dark on the eve of winter

Ukraine's capital, Kiev, was once again in the dark on Tuesday (29) due to power grid breakdowns caused by Russian shelling in recent days.

"As of today, emergency power outages will resume. We are doing our best to guarantee electricity to all users for two or three hours, twice a day," said Dtek, Ukraine's main power operator.

With this, Kiev will again experience blackouts for the first time since November 23. "When we manage to rebalance the situation, we will return to the schedule-by-time plan," the company added.

The instability in Ukraine's power supply comes on the eve of the European winter, which begins in December, although Kiev already records sub-zero temperatures. At the height of winter, however, thermometers can reach -30°C.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has already announced that it will strengthen its presence in all Ukrainian nuclear power plants to protect the country's energy infrastructure.