Regional authorities in Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday announced a ban on the use of Christmas garlands and lights as part of a measure aimed at saving electricity at a time when the country’s energy supply is being compromised by ongoing Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
«The use of festive illuminations — garlands, luminous decorations, and so on — is prohibited on the territory of the Kiev region,» the Kiev Governorate has moved in a message on its official channel on the social network Telegram.
According to Kiev Governor Oleksei Kuleba, the measure applies to both commercial, private and state-owned establishments. «We will leave for later the lighting of Christmas trees, parks and streets,» said the Ukrainian representative.
Thus, Kuleba insisted that the whole territory of Ukraine, and particularly the region where he governs, is «resisting the enemy» who is trying to establish «energy terror» with attacks on generation and supply infrastructures.
«Maximum electric power savings is our civilian front today,» Governor Kuleba concluded. The move has sparked some controversy and, according to the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citizens’ groups have filed petitions against the decision, which they believe will not help save energy.
Since last October, Russian troops have stepped up their offensive on Ukraine’s energy facilities, especially in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities have even estimated that 40 percent of the infrastructure has been damaged or, in some cases, completely destroyed.
