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Three people have died due to strong winds in war-torn Ukraine, which have left thousands without electricity as the country’s energy grid remains vulnerable due to Russian strikes.
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The storms and rain came as worries mount in Ukraine over its energy security, with winter approaching and Russia’s invasion dragging on for 20 months.
“Three people have been killed by the bad weather — two in Kyiv and one in the Kyiv region,” Oleksiy Kuleba, the deputy head of the presidential office, said on social media.
“Several more people have been injured,” he added.
Kuleba said that some 300,000 people in 14 regions were without power.
He said the western Khmelnytskyi region was the worst affected.
Regionals officials said winds there reached up to 30 miles (48 kilometres) per hour.
During winter last year Russian forces launched repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid that left millions without electricity, heating and water for extended periods.
Kyiv has warned that it may face another campaign of Russia targeting its energy grid this winter.
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