Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!
The key task of today, as well as of other days this week, is energy. From Wednesday to today, it was possible to halve the number of people for whom electricity is cut off to stabilize the system.
As of this evening, blackouts continue in most regions and in Kyiv. In total, more than six million subscribers. Almost 12 million subscribers were disconnected from the grid on Wednesday evening.
Most of the problems are currently in the capital of Ukraine, as well as in Kyiv region, Odesa region, Lviv region, Vinnytsia region and Dnipropetrovsk region.
Please, it is necessary to consume electricity sparingly in all regions, as before.
If you don't have a power outage, it doesn't mean the problem is over. Please, if you have electricity, this does not mean that you can turn on several powerful electrical appliances at once.
Spiked power draws are recorded every evening, which cause an increase in emergency blackouts. Now, as before, it is necessary to save energy.
Points of Invincibility are deployed throughout the country. But I know that, unfortunately, not in all cities the local government has done a good job. In particular, there are many complaints in Kyiv. In fact, only the Points that are deployed at the base of the State Emergency Service and at the railway station of the capital are normally provided, and other Points still need to be improved, to put it mildly. Please pay attention. Kyiv residents need more protection.
As of this evening, 600,000 subscribers have been disconnected from the grid in the city. Many Kyiv residents were without electricity for more than 20 or even 30 hours. I expect quality work from the mayor's office. No one will forgive anyone for desecrating the Kyiv Points of Invincibility. Please be more serious. As well as lies in reports of various levels.
I was in Vyshgorod, Kyiv region today, where a Russian missile destroyed an apartment building and damaged the houses of an entire residential neighborhood.
Six people have been killed then, dozens have been injured. My condolences to the families of the victims. We do everything to help and we help.
I visited two Points of Invincibility in Vyshgorod: at the base of the State Emergency Service and at a local school. They are arranged exactly as it should be.
In total, there are now more than 4,000 Points in the country, and it is the responsibility of each local leader to ensure that everything that should be there for people really works.
I spoke today with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
I thanked her for the decision to provide a EUR 2.5 billion macro-financial assistance. They approved another EUR 0.5 billion by the end of the year and discussed the preparation of the support package for the next year.
They also agreed on new steps in energy support for Ukraine.
Today, I took part in the international symposium "The idea of Europe" in Lithuania.
I called on the partners to take new steps for the sake of our joint victory and thanked Poland and the Baltic States for their principled stance to cap the price of exported Russian energy.
I believe that the partners' proposals to introduce a more significant price restriction for Russian oil than was sounded this week are quite valid.
In the evening, I signed another decree awarding our soldiers. Some 216 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were given state awards.
I would especially like to mention the fighters of the 71st separate hunting brigade and the 24th Aidar assault battalion for their bravery and effectiveness in destroying the enemy and conducting counter-offensive actions. As well as the border guards of the Lviv and Mohyliv-Podilsky detachments, who are ferocious in defense of the Bakhmut and Avdiyivka directions. Thank you, warriors!
Thank you to everyone who fights for our country! Who is doing everything to suppress the occupiers that are shelling, unfortunately, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and our other cities.
Thank you to everyone who works for Ukraine and Ukrainians! To everyone who brings heat, water, electricity and communication back to people.
Glory to our indestructible people!
Glory to all of you – well done!
Glory to Ukraine!