A shopkeeper uses candles as light during a power outage in Odessa, Ukraine (Image: Reuters)

Ukraine forced more emergency power outages yesterday as it attempted to repair energy infrastructure hit by recent Russian airstrikes.

National grid operator Ukrenergo said the system was suffering from a significant power shortage amid harsh winter weather that caused cables to freeze in the west.

Oleksandr Starukh, governor of the southeastern region of Zaporizhia, said: “All regions lack energy – up to a third of what is needed.”

The attacks began as the blackout was about to end and previous damage had been repaired.

Power outages were reported in the capital Kyiv, in the southern region of Odessa and in Dnipro in central Ukraine.

Ukraine labels the attack on civilian infrastructure a war crime and urges people to save energy by reducing the use of appliances such as stoves.

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