Ukraine's power grid experienced mass outages on Saturday after a "technical malfunction" caused electrical lines between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine to fail, Ukraine's energy minister said.
The malfunction "caused a simultaneous shutdown of the 400 kilovolt line between the power grids of Romania and Moldova and the 750 kilovolt line between western and central Ukraine", Denys Shmygal said on Telegram.
Problems in Ukraine's power grid also led to the emergency shutdown of Moldova's energy system on Saturday, Moldova's energy ministry said.
The latest outages come amid recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that have caused major disruptions to heat, electricity and water provision as the country faces a particularly harsh winter.
Read morePower cuts and freezing temperatures test Kyiv's resilience after Russian attacks
Due to the power shortages on Saturday, Kyiv's metro system temporarily closed, the operator said.
The Kyiv metro is a vital transport artery for the capital and rarely pauses operations, even during intense Russian bombardment.
Around 800,000 passengers use the system daily, according to data published last year. Many of them rely on it to commute to work.
Residents also use its 52 stations as bomb shelters during Russian attacks.
"Due to a power outage from external power supply centres, train service and escalator operation have been temporarily suspended in the metro," Kyiv Metro said in a post on Facebook.
The system will serve as a shelter until power resumes, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a post on Telegram.
Russia has hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout its nearly four-year invasion, but Kyiv says this winter has been the toughest yet, as attacks cut power and heating to millions during sub-zero temperatures.
The Kremlin said Friday said that President Vladimir Putin had agreed to stop striking Kyiv for a week until Sunday following a request from US counterpart Donald Trump.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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