According to the Russian-Taiwan TV (RT) website on the 25th, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said on Tuesday that Ukrainians who left the country during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict should not return by next spring. She added that staying away from Ukraine would protect them from unnecessary risks and help Ukraine "to survive" the deepening energy crisis .
Velesuk spoke on Ukraine's state television on Tuesday, accusing Russia of "intimidating civilians" in a conflict with Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
She said, "I want to ask you not to come back, we need to survive this winter. Unfortunately, the power grid will not be able to hold on, you can see what Russia is doing. You don't need to do this (return to China). If you have the opportunity to stay, it's better to spend the winter abroad."
The Ukrainian deputy prime minister added that she hopes to see everyone come back in the spring and rebuild Ukrainian cities and villages together.
"Our children have to live and learn here, but now let's restrain themselves because we know the situation will get worse and we have to survive this winter. We will live through this winter and then think about other things," said Velexuk.
Ukraine Vice Premier Irina Veresuk Photo source: Foreign media
Ukraine Razumkov Economic and Political Research Center headquartered in Kiev A survey released at the end of August showed that more than 90% of Ukrainian refugees plan to return to their homes at some point, and more than 88% of Ukrainians who intend to return plan to live again in the areas where they lived before the conflict.
Starting from October 10, the Russian army launched a large-scale attack on important Ukrainian infrastructure, including power stations, resulting in a disruption in Ukraine's power supply. According to TASS , Ukrainian President Zelensky delivered a video speech on the 16th, calling on the public to reduce electricity consumption between 17 and 23 o'clock every day. According to Russian News Agency , Zelensky posted on Twitter on the 18th, saying, "Since October 10, 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed, resulting in large-scale power outages across the country." He also said that there is "no room for negotiation" with Russia.
RT reported that on Monday, Yuri Vitrenko, head of Ukrainian state-owned energy giant Ukrainian oil and gas company (Naftogaz), said that Ukraine is facing "the worst winter in history" and its mark is "continuous power outage." He explained that the Russian army also recently attacked Ukrainian oil refineries and destroyed "about 40% of Ukraine's power plants."
On the same day, Ukrainian e-commerce website Rozetka.ua revealed that in the past two weeks, demand for "merchandise needed in the event of an energy crisis" has increased dramatically, such as small iron stoves, rechargeable batteries, candles and gas stoves.
(Editor: ZLQ)
