KYIV, Ukraine, Nov 23, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine said Thursday it cannot produce enough electricity to meet growing demand for heating and is turning to neighbouring EU countries for help, amid fears of Russian strikes on production facilities.

Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure last winter left millions in the cold and dark.

"Electricity consumption is continuing to grow, and there is a deficit in the energy system," grid operator Ukrenergo said Thursday on social media.

Ukrenego said that on Wednesday, it had appealed to operators in Romania, Slovakia and Poland to provide "emergency assistance" to bolster supplies.

Kyiv has been asking Western countries to bolster its air defence systems in case Russia restarts systematic strikes on energy facilities, as it did last winter.

"The situation remains difficult: repairs are underway at several blocks of thermal power plants, and there is a shortage of electricity in the power system," Ukrenergo said.

It said energy consumption has increased recently due to falling temperatures, putting an additional burden on production facilities that are in need of maintainance and repair.

Ukrenergo said 409 settlements in the country were without electricity because of Russia's invasion and "other reasons." 

It said the disruptions were in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson.