Ukraine faces ‘winter humanitarian crisis’ with energy grid on the brink

Firefighters work to put out a fire at an energy infrastructure facility in Cherkasy region, Ukraine. Photograph: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine/Reuters

Ukraine faces a winter humanitarian crisis unless it can prevent a collapse in its electricity supply caused by the relentless campaign of Russian bombing, the chief executive of the country’s national grid has said.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the chief executive of Ukrenergo, said “virtually all” large non-nuclear power stations in the country had been hit, as well as more than 30% of the network’s routing substations.