Ukraine war: Zelensky accuses Russia of 'energy terrorism' - BBC

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of resorting to "energy terrorism" arsenic Russian troops marque fewer gains connected the battlefield.

Mr Zelensky said 4.5 cardinal radical were without powerfulness pursuing Russian attacks connected its vigor network.

In caller weeks, Russia has carried retired large-scale rocket and drone attacks connected Ukrainian powerfulness facilities.

The strikes travel arsenic officials accidental Russian troops are apt to retreat from the cardinal confederate metropolis of Kherson.

After suffering a bid of achy defeats connected the battlefield, Russia has stepped up attacks successful caller weeks connected energy infrastructure successful cities distant from the beforehand lines.

In conscionable the past month, a 3rd of the country's powerfulness stations person reportedly been destroyed, according to President Zelensky.

The Ukrainian authorities has been forced to impulse the colonisation to effort and usage vigor sparingly arsenic a result.

"Tonight, astir 4.5 cardinal consumers person been temporarily disconnected from vigor consumption," President Zelensky said successful his nightly code connected Thursday.

He said Russia's targeting of vigor infrastructure was a motion of "weakness" arsenic Russian forces neglect to marque overmuch crushed connected the frontline.

"The precise information that Russia is resorting to vigor coercion shows the weakness of our enemy," helium said.

"They cannot bushed Ukraine connected the battlefield, truthful they effort to interruption our radical this way."

Russia's ministry of defence has confirmed it is targeting Ukrainian vigor infrastructure.

Mr Zelensky's accusation comes arsenic reports look stating that Russian troops are leaving the occupied metropolis of Kherson, signalling a large retreat for Russia.

A Russian-installed authoritative successful the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian media that Moscow was "likely" to propulsion its troops from the area.

And according to a Western official, speaking connected information of anonymity, astir Russian commanding officers person already withdrawn from the city.

Instead of trying to support power of the city, they said Russian troops were gathering up their antiaircraft positions connected the different broadside of the Dnipro River, arsenic portion of a wider Russian determination to found amended antiaircraft lines passim confederate and eastbound Ukraine earlier the accomplishment of winter.

It is hard to cognize what precisely is happening wrong the city, but the authoritative said mobilised Russian reservists had been sent into the metropolis to screen the last retreat erstwhile it happens.

In addition, the BBC's planetary affairs analogous Paul Adams says that banks person reportedly been emptied and museums person been looted.

Occupying authorities person besides been evacuating thousands of civilians from the country implicit a fig of weeks.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukrainian troops were "capable" of retaking the confederate city.

But Ukraine said it was inactive warring successful the country and remains cautious successful lawsuit Russia is mounting a trap for Ukrainian troops.

Russia's seizure of Kherson - a large metropolis - successful March was seen arsenic 1 of Moscow's astir important achievements successful the war.

But a Ukrainian counter-offensive successful the area, which has been nether mode for much than a month, has meant that Russia has had to reassess its battlefield objectives.