Selensky regrets the vast damage to energy structures and advocates for increased air defense.
Russian attacks on Ukraine through missiles and drones have devastated nearly half of the country's electric generation capabilities, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attacks have led to the loss of nine gigawatts of power capacity. During the previous winter, the country's energy consumption reached a peak of 18 gigawatts.
Due to these shortages, the state-owned power supplier Ukrenergo has announced that it will lengthen hourly power outages in Ukraine to cope with the situation.
In a speech in Berlin, Zelenskyy pleaded with Western allies to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine, asserting that these attacks are aiding the Russian ground forces. He stated, "It is the rocket and bomb terror that enables the Russian troops to make headway." He believes that losing their advantage in the air would mean Putin seems "more interested in seeking a just peace."
At the beginning of this Ukraine conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had urged for more assistance in strengthening Ukraine's air defense. He requested backing for a German-led initiative to bolster Ukraine's aerial defense – "with everything possible," stated the Chancellor.
This two-day Berlin meeting focuses on two things: the short-term reparation for wartime damage caused by Russian attacks and the long-term development plans for Ukraine.
Damages inflicted on Ukraine by Russia are valued by the World Bank to be at least $486 billion (roughly 446 billion euros).
