Ukraine faces critical energy disruptions as Zelensky orders faster defense against drone strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called for a faster military and local administrative response to ongoing energy disruptions and drone threats following a coordination call on the situation across the country's regions.

"The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine must also act much more swiftly to expand-as previously determined-the capacity to protect the Kharkiv region and other regions bordering Russia from 'shaheds' and other attack drones," Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that Ukraine does not have time to wait for individual military units to adjust.

Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of local authorities in certain regions, noting that responses to prolonged outages in cities such as Kryvyi Rih and areas within the Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions have often been delayed.

He said that while repair crews and emergency services are working effectively, not all communities are resolving infrastructure problems on time, stressing that "conclusions must be drawn" from these shortcomings.

Zelensky also highlighted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has received additional generator equipment from international partners to strengthen rapid response reserves.

He added that in the Odesa region, additional measures are being implemented to support citizens whose homes rely entirely on electric heating, tasking local officials with providing clear support plans for affected buildings.

Ukraine has faced extensive damage to its power grid following repeated strikes on energy infrastructure, resulting in scheduled and emergency power cuts across several oblasts.