Energy scandal spells trouble for Zelensky as Ukrainians face another winter of power cuts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 31. Alina Smutko/Reuters

When Vladimir Putin first started targeting the Ukrainian energy sector, it did not have the impact the Kremlin wanted. Ukraine’s ability to withstand the Russian campaign , and carefully ration its power supplies, served only to cement its leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility at home.

Three years on, the picture is rather more difficult. Ukraine’s president finds himself under fire over a burgeoning energy sector corruption scandal, while his people face a fourth tough winter, with power cuts and heating outages as severe as ever.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces find themselves losing ground across the east, most critically in the one-time logistics hub