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Chief of Ukrainian presidential office says power cuts could last weeks

The official joined by a video link a ceremony to inaugurate a project for European cities to help Ukraine by supplying electric generators

KIEV, November 23. /TASS/. Andrey Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on Wednesday that the country’s power outages could last weeks, underscoring a need for a strategic reserve of electric generators.

The official joined by a video link a ceremony to inaugurate a project for European cities to help Ukraine by supplying electric generators. He said the project will help Ukrainians "to live through the most difficult winter in the country’s modern-day history."

"Generators are the main equipment that will provide for people’s basic needs: light, communication, access to reliable medical assistance when the lights go off," he was quoted as saying in a statement from the Ukrainian presidential office. "We need them as a strategic reserve in case of a complete and nonstop blackout that could last weeks."

He also said Ukraine needs high-voltage equipment, such as autotransformers, circuit breakers, relays and surge arresters.

Earlier, the CEO of the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, Maxim Timchenko, encouraged the country's residents to spend the winter outside its borders if possible. However, the Ukrainian presidential office later said Ukrainians didn’t have to leave the country as it faced power outages.

On November 18, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said that almost 50% of the country's energy system had been knocked out. The same day, Lvov Mayor Andrey Sadovoy warned local residents that the city could find itself in a situation where there would be no electricity and heating for weeks.

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