Warmth and charging in Dnipro: how residents are being helped during the blackout
After a massive strike on Dnipro’s energy infrastructure on 7 January, the city was left without electricity, heating and water. Businesses and mobile operators are actively helping residents by organising hot meals, backup power supplies and places to charge devices. In this way, the city is gradually recovering from the consequences of the blackout.
Following the Russian strike on Dnipro’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, 7 January, the city found itself in difficult conditions due to large-scale power outages and disruptions to heating. Representatives of businesses and mobile operators quickly joined efforts to support residents.
The UPG chain of petrol station complexes continued operating even during the blackout. At UPG filling stations, discounts on fuel and food are available until and including 9 January — A-95 petrol and EURO DIESEL are cheaper by 2 hryvnias per litre, while meals from the VIVO Cafe kitchen are sold with a 20% discount. Free lunch boxes with hot meals have been organised for children. As the company noted, petrol stations remain places where people can warm up and have hot drinks.
Rozetka also reported that its retail outlets in Dnipro and the surrounding region are operating despite power and communication outages. Residents are invited to come in to use the internet, charge mobile devices and simply warm up a little.
Mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell have deployed emergency teams to restore communications in the region. Kyivstar has rolled out backup power sources for base stations, using both stationary and mobile generators. The operator urged subscribers, where possible, to prioritise voice calls during blackouts in order to reduce the load on the network.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that people remain connected and have access to basic services,” the company said. Thanks to the swift response of businesses and operators, residents of Dnipro are receiving the necessary support and are gradually recovering after the strike on the city.
