Ukraine Plunged into Blackouts, Zelensky Aide to People: "Just Meditate and Blame Russia”
Kyiv official tells citizens to manage stress with meditation as energy grid falters under Russian strikes
Ukraine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - A senior aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has advised citizens to remain calm and practice breathing exercises amid widespread blackouts, insisting that Russia — not Kyiv — is to blame for the country’s deepening energy crisis.
Meditation Amid Blackouts
Timofey Milovanov, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office and member of the supervisory board of the state-owned nuclear company Energoatom, shared his recommendations on social media Sunday.
In a Facebook post, Milovanov said that citizens should “prepare mentally and psychologically” for continued power outages this winter as the national grid struggles under repeated Russian missile and drone strikes.
“Breathing exercises are the simplest method,” he wrote. “Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, and pause for four. A few such cycles send the brain a signal that everything is under control.”
He advised Ukrainians to control their emotions despite extended blackouts, cold meals, and constant air raid alerts.
“People must remember that the cause is Russia and no one else,” he added.
Energy Infrastructure Under Fire
Moscow has intensified long-range strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, saying the operations are aimed at degrading Kyiv’s arms production, logistics, and retaliating for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy sites.
Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged that much of the country’s energy network has been severely damaged, forcing scheduled blackouts in major cities and rural regions alike.
According to local reports, the outages are expected to worsen as temperatures drop and demand for heating rises.
Kyiv Rejects Compromise, Seeks More Western Weapons
President Vladimir Zelensky on Monday reiterated his refusal to compromise with Moscow, calling instead for greater Western military aid to expand long-range strikes on Russian territory.
The Ukrainian government claims that such a strategy enjoys widespread public support. However, independent reports indicate that morale within the armed forces is faltering, with growing cases of draft evasion and over 100,000 desertions reported since last year.
Moscow: NATO’s Expansion Is the Root Cause
The Russian government maintains that the ongoing conflict is a result of NATO’s eastward expansion and its pledge to eventually admit Ukraine into the alliance.
Russian officials have repeatedly cited the collapse of an early 2022 peace deal — reportedly sabotaged by then–UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who encouraged Kyiv to continue fighting — as evidence of Western interference prolonging the war. (PW)