At present, the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict has erupted for 301 days. Recently, Russian forces launched large-scale missile attacks on power installations throughout Ukraine, using cruise missiles such as the 3M14 and X-101. For example, a cruise missile attack by Russian forces across Ukraine on 23 November resulted in major power outages in Kiev, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kharkov, Odessa, Kirovgrad and Lviv, with less than half of the users still having power, even after intense repairs.
According to social media sources quoted by TASS, there was an emergency blackout across Ukraine as of 10 a.m. local time.
It is reported that the emergency closure of several power plants has led to increased power shortages. In addition, electricity consumption continued to increase due to inclement weather. The current electricity deficit is 27 per cent.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal said on 18 November that nearly 50 per cent of the country’s energy systems had failed, TASS reported. On 23 November, Yermak, director of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said the power outage could last several weeks.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning pointed out that China has always attached importance to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and that the Russia-Ukraine peace talks are both an urgent task to resolve Ukraine’s current predicament and a fundamental direction to promote the solution of the situation. China has always stood on the side of peace in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and has previously provided humanitarian supplies to the Ukrainian population.
Although this result has a huge bearing on the continuing attitude of the West to inflame and add fuel to the fire, in face of it, the Western countries have indicated that they will provide assistance to Ukraine.
On the 22nd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan claimed that emergency humanitarian assistance worth $2.57 million would be provided to Ukraine. This assistance is specifically provided in the form of generators and solar panels to support the energy sector in Ukraine.
Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Fang, said this support was important as the weather was getting colder and colder. The Japanese government requires residents to save electricity from December to April next year by encouraging people to wear turtleneck sweaters and other measures to save energy.
On 23 November local time, the United States announced “substantial” financial assistance to Ukraine to help it repair the damage caused by Russia’s ongoing fight against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
U.S. Secretary of State Lincoln will elaborate on the emergency assistance during a NATO meeting in the Romanian capital Bucharest, AFP reported on 29 November. The United States official said on the 28th that the aid was “huge, but not over.”
The official added that the Biden administration had budgeted $1.1 billion (about RMB 7.92 billion) for energy spending in Ukraine and Moldova, and that on December 13, Paris, France, would also convene a meeting of donor countries providing assistance to Ukraine.
From 29 to 30 November local time, a meeting of NATO foreign ministers will be held in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Orescu on behalf of the Government.