Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that at least five people have died and 19 have been injured after a severe storm hit the country’s southern region of Odessa.
According to the report of Xinhua news agency, a severe snowstorm hit Ukraine on Monday night, causing traffic disruption and power outages in 17 areas.
The country’s Energy Ministry said on social media that at least 2,019 villages and towns are without electricity due to power grid damage caused by strong winds.
Southern Odessa, Mykolaiv, central Dnepropetrovsk, and northern Kiev regions were hardest hit by the blizzard, the ministry said.
Other affected regions are Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhia and Crimea, where traffic is currently halted on 14 routes.
A state of emergency is now in effect in several municipalities of Crimea.
More than 1,500 rescue workers have been deployed to respond to the crisis across Ukraine.
In the capital Kiev, the country’s largest flag had to be taken down from a pole after it was damaged in strong winds. City officials said the flag would be replaced and flown again.
Meanwhile, the storm has also affected Russia, Moldova, Georgia and Bulgaria.
According to Russia’s Energy Ministry, the most affected regions are Dagestan, Krasnodar and Rostov.
Large waves washed up on the city’s beach in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi, prompting authorities in Moscow to deploy machines to clear roads after heavy snowfall.
