Zelensky Slams Slow Energy Repairs Amid Growing Russian Strikes

President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized the pace of restoration following Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, demanding faster action from government agencies and local authorities.After a coordination call on regional needs on Friday, Nov. 13, Zelensky said officials had received detailed reports on the consequences of Russian strikes in northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, including the cities of Shostka and Konotop.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The situation in Kyiv region, particularly Bila Tserkva, Brovary and other cities, was also discussed.Zelensky also accused local officials of “inaccurate reporting.”“The pace of restoration work is too slow, and unfortunately, there has been inaccurate reporting from the ground in several cities,” Zelensky said, adding that officials had identified measures to address the problems.He discussed additional mechanisms with the Energy Ministry, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development to improve coordination between central government and local authorities.Earlier this week, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal separately briefed Zelensky on measures to protect transformers and other critical equipment in Ukraine’s power system, as Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi reported that Russian forces had struck six major electrical substations overnight in Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr and Cherkasy regions. Power transmission lines were also damaged in Rivne and Kirovohrad regions. Other Topics of Interest Russian media identified the injured driver as Sergei Zavorotny, a former spokesman for Mykola Azarov. The attacks followed the strikes on Tuesday, Nov. 10, when Russian forces targeted energy facilities in eight regions. Emergency power outages were introduced in Kyiv and several other regions as repair teams worked to restore damaged equipment.Earlier, on Nov. 3, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, hitting facilities in 10 regions. The overnight assault involved 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, according to Ukrainian authorities. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.