Kherson: Russian troops stormed parts of eastern and southern Ukraine early Sunday as utility workers rushed to restore power, water and heating as snow and sub-zero temperatures fell.

Meanwhile, residents of the southern city of Kherson continued to flee due to the devastation caused by the recent attacks and fear of further attacks.

With heavy snow continuing to fall in Kyiv on Sunday, analysts predicted the ongoing conflict could be more and more affected by the winter weather, which brings with it frozen ground and difficult fighting conditions. The conflict has escalated since Russian forces invaded Ukraine more than nine months ago.

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Experts said the muddy battlefield and incessant rain had already slowed down both sides. Workers are spreading out in round-the-clock deployments to restore essential basic services after Russian artillery attacks on infrastructure that began last month forced many Ukrainians without electricity.

State-run power grid operator Ukrainergo reported on Sunday that electricity producers were now meeting about 80% of demand, up from 75% a day earlier.

As a result of the difficulties, the President of Ukraine and the mayor of Kyiv have started fighting again. On Sunday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko defended himself against claims made by President Volodymyr Zelensky that not enough centers were set up to provide food, water, batteries and other necessities for Kyiv residents, and that many people are still were also living without electricity.

Several such facilities and emergency generators are in use, Kitsko wrote on Telegram. He continued, "I don't want, especially in the current situation, to enter into political battles.

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Since Zelensky was elected mayor in 2019, there have been sporadic clashes between the president and the mayor. In contrast to Zelenski's allegations of corruption against Klitschko and those close to him, according to Klitschko, the President's office has put him under political pressure.

A think tank that has been closely following developments in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War, said reports from both sides suggested that heavy rain and mud were in effect, as well as widespread freezing weather in the coming days. There was hope.

It noted in a note released on Saturday that "it is unclear whether either side is actively planning or preparing to resume a major offensive or counterattack at that time, but meteorological factors that are disrupting such operations, lifting will begin."

Russian forces reportedly continued "regular artillery fire" across the Dnieper River and dug in east of the city of Kherson, prompting Ukrainian forces to drive them out more than two weeks later.

As part of a possible strategy to increase "the tempo of rocket and anti-air missile strikes against ground targets north of the Dnieper River in the coming days", the think tank also cited reports that the Russian military is Launch rocket and ground-to-air missile systems are located close to the city.

Zelensky cited the liberation of the city of Kherson two weeks earlier as a turning point in the war. However, in recent days Russian forces in the region have been shelling the city heavily.

Civilians continued to leave Kherson on Sunday, many expressing grief over the intolerable conditions and concerns about upcoming attacks, according to the top UN representative in Ukraine.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Dennis Brown described the area as "massive destruction," "the scale of the destruction" and "what is needed in the city and oblast." According to him, UN teams were bringing supplies such as food, water, items for shelter, medical supplies, blankets and mattresses.

"Naturally, we need to act quickly before this turns into a complete catastrophe," Brown told The Associated Press in Kherson.
In an interview, the head of the city's military administration, Galina Lugova, said that bomb shelters with stoves, beds, first aid supplies and fire extinguishers had been set up in every city district and that evacuation trains were lined up.

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We are bracing for a winter with challenging weather, but Lugova is determined to keep everyone safe. She said that "the shelling that intensifies every day" was her biggest concern. Firing again and again.

Some townspeople believed they had no choice but to leave and took the streets out of town.

Our home was hit by artillery the day before yesterday. Fire destroyed four apartments. As he drove away with a terrier on his lap and a Ukrainian flag dangling from the sun visor, Vitaliy Nadochiy exclaimed, "Windows shattered. We're unable to attend. 

There is no heating, water, or electricity. We are now departing to visit my brother. Five people were killed in shelling over the last day in the eastern Donetsk region, according to governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. 

Regional authorities in thewestern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions reported shelling during the night. Additionally, he claimed that two people died as a result of artillery fire on the Kurakhove town.

Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Kharkiv, reported one fatality and three injuries in the northeastern region.

Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih was the target of unidentified Russian rocket attacks on Sunday, a local official reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries.