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President Volodymyr Zelensky praised his Ukrainian forces on Sunday for continuing the fight against the Russian army despite harsh winter conditions. As a result of the harsh winter weather, electricity was cut off in about four hundred villages in ten regions.

In his late-night video address, Zelensky said heavy, intense fighting was taking place in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv, while other areas, from Kiev in the north to Odessa in the south, were experiencing extremely cold weather conditions.

Nearly half a million people are also without electricity in Crimea, which Russia has annexed since 2014, said Oleg Kryuchkov, a senior official in Moscow. Residents have to contend with strong winds, flooded homes and snow-covered roads. Therefore, schools and businesses will remain closed on Monday as a precaution.

Odessa Mayor Hennadi Truchanov also called on residents to stay at home. Local authorities warned that the water supply was suffering from a power outage, causing the pumps to stop working. He urged residents to have adequate supplies in their homes.

Editorial