Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia deliberately waited for bad weather conditions before carrying out its massive attack on the Ukrainian energy system, adding that this had reduced the effectiveness of air defenses by between 20% and 30%, Reuters reported.
“The main attack was in four areas“, Zelensky told reporters in Kiev. “I think the weather conditions affected our ability to repel it by about 20-30%“, he added.
Russian drones and missiles hit Ukrainian energy facilities last night, causing power outages in some parts of Kiev. Ukraine's Energy Ministry said 380,000 customers were still offline as of this afternoon.
"The blow is strong, but definitely not fatal," Zelensky said. He said 203 energy facilities in the country needed air defenses to protect them from Russia.
He said Russian forces had attempted a new attack near the town of Dobropilya in Donetsk region.
He also said Ukraine was waiting for clarity on the status of 10 air defense systems promised by the United States. Zelensky said he hoped the "coalition of the willing" - a group of countries that have pledged to step up support for Ukraine - would meet again this month.