Zelensky calls for 50 million lightbulbs to tackle Ukraine’s energy crisis

Paris: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday sought millions of energy-efficient lightbulbs that are needed to help the war-torn country cope with a harsh winter and Russian attacks on its energy grid. Addressing a conference in Paris, the Ukrainian President argued that one of the keys to stopping the Russian aggression was to guarantee Ukraine’s energy stability. Generators are “as necessary in Ukraine as armoured vehicles and bulletproof vests,” Zelensky reminded friendly nations. A barrage of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have left millions without power in the war-hit nation. With harsh winter temperatures in parts of the country often below zero for weeks, Ukraine has accused Russia of using the winter season as a weapon against its civilian population. After deadly Russian air strikes over the last couple of months, many parts of Ukraine get access to electricity only for a few hours every day. The damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has caused an average shortfall of about two-and-a-half gigawatts of power, Zelensky told an international aid conference in Paris on Tuesday. He said providing the country with 50 million LED lightbulbs, which use less energy than older varieties, would help in saving around one gigawatt of power - reducing the shortfall by about 40%. The European Union has already committed to sending 30 million bulbs to Ukraine. “In these times of suffering and darkness, it is so important to bring light to Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Nearly 12 million people in Ukraine are now disconnected from the electricity grid, Zelensky told the Paris conference, which was organised to help Ukraine get through winter and to plan how to rebuild the country. Blackouts, both scheduled and unscheduled, have affected almost every region of the country, some lasting days at a time. Many critical services are relying on generators to keep the lights on, including hospitals and other medical facilities which are forced to limit the number of patients they treat. Zelensky said more generators were urgently needed, as well as specialist equipment to repair the energy infrastructure. French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Tuesday’s conference, described Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s power grid as “cynical and cowardly”. “They violate without any doubt the most basic principles of humanitarian law. These acts are intolerable and will not go unpunished,” Macron said. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.