Ukraine war refugees asked not to return this winter

Ukrainian refugees should not return until spring to help ease pressure on the energy system after a wave of Russian attacks, the government said.

"The networks will not cope," said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian air strikes had destroyed more than a third of the country's energy sector.

Russia said it began attacking Ukraine's energy networks in retaliation for an attack on a bridge linking mainland Russia to occupied Crimea, although Kyiv has not said it was behind the bridge attack.