Europe bids to help keep Ukraine heat and lights on

EUROPEAN officials are working to help Ukraine stay warm and keep functioning through the bitter winter months – pledging to send more support to mitigate the Russian military’s efforts to turn off the heat and lights.

Nine months after Russia invaded its neighbour, the Kremlin’s forces have zeroed in on Ukraine’s power grid and other critical civilian infrastructure in a bid to tighten the screw on Kyiv.

Officials estimate around 50% of Ukraine’s energy facilities have been damaged in the recent strikes.

France is sending 100 high-powered generators to Ukraine to help people get through the coming months, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said yesterday.

She said Russia is “weaponising” winter and plunging Ukraine’s civilian population into hardship.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, arriving in Kyiv yesterday for an unannounced visit, said a promised air-defence package, which Britain valued at £50 million, will help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s bombardments.

“Words are not enough. Words won’t keep the lights on this winter. Words won’t defend against Russian missiles,” Mr Cleverly said in a tweet about the military aid.

The package includes radar and other technology to counter the Iransupplied exploding drones that Russia has used against Ukrainian targets, especially the power grid. It comes on top of a delivery of more than 1,000 anti-air missiles that Britain

announced earlier this month.

“As winter sets in, Russia is continuing to try and break Ukrainian resolve through its brutal attacks on civilians, hospitals and energy infrastructure,” Mr Cleverly said.

His visit came a day after European officials launched a scheme called Generators of Hope, which calls on more than 200 cities across the continent to donate power generators and electricity transformers.

Meanwhile, Nato is determined to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia for “as long as it takes” and will help the war-wracked country transform its armed forces into a modern army up to western standards, the alliance’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg vowed.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Romania next week, Mr Stoltenberg urged countries that want to – either individually or in groups – to keep providing air defence systems and other weapons to Ukraine.

Nato as an organisation does not supply weapons.

“Nato will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will not back down,” the former Norwegian prime minister said.

“Allies are providing unprecedented military support and I expect foreign ministers will also agree to step up non-lethal support.”

Mr Stoltenberg said members of the 30-nation security organisation have been delivering fuel, generators, medical supplies, winter equipment and drone-jamming devices – but more will be needed as winter closes in, particularly as Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.