Ukraine's biggest private energy provider is living in permanent crisis mode because of Russian attacks on the grid, its chief executive has told the BBC.

Most of Ukraine is suffering from lengthy power cuts as temperatures drop and Maxim Timchenko, whose company DTEK provides power for 5.6 million Ukrainians, says the intensity of strikes has been so frequent we just don't have time to recover.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is well aware that the winter cold could be a significant weapon against Ukraine.

As the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches, Timchenko insists the attacks have severely impacted DTEK's operations, leaving parts of the country, like Odesa, without power for days.

Amid these hardships, the Ukrainian population has shown remarkable resilience, with community members aiding one another during outages, though the situation remains dire as the energy infrastructure continues to deteriorate under constant threat.