Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for 50 million energy efficient light bulbs to battle Russian attacks on the nation’s energy infrastructure.

Guaranteeing Ukraine’s energy security was a vital means to stave off Russian aggression, the President said.

Due to the attacks, many Ukrainians are currently without electricity supply for many hours of the day, he explained, adding that generators were “as necessary in Ukraine as armoured vehicles and bulletproof vests.”

Supplying the 50 million LED lightbulbs would reduce energy shortfall by 40% and save around 1GW of power, Zelenskyy stressed.

The European Commission has already decided to send 30 million lightbulbs to the Eastern European nation.

He estimates that €1.5 billion (£1.3bn) is needed to restore the country’s power grid, with pledges from the EU so far amounting to €1 billion (£871m).

Currently, 12 million Ukrainians are not connected to the grid, with Zelenskyy concluding: “Unfortunately, this is a typical situation for us. And we expect new Russian strikes every day, which can dramatically increase the number of shutdowns.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/12/16/zelenskyy-says-ukraine-needs-50m-led-light-bulbs/