Ukraine counts on the support of the European Union against Russia’s “energy terror”. The situation is extremely critical, the state energy supplier is now warning: “We are talking about the survival of the system.”
Russia continues its massive bombardment of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, apparently with the cynical intent of rendering cities uninhabitable and crushing the morale of the populace who may face a cold and dark winter.
The most recent Russian missile attack on the country’s energy supply led to failures and bottlenecks in the electricity and water supply on Monday. In Kyiv alone, 80 percent of residents were temporarily without water, and hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power after Russia also launched a series of cruise missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
The electricity and water supply in Kyiv have been largely restored, but the authorities in the capital are preparing for further power outages. “The worst thing would be if there was no electricity, no water and no district heating at all”, . “In this case, we are preparing over 1,000 heating points in our city.” The locations should therefore be equipped with generators and essential supplies such as water.
According to the state energy supplier Ukrenergo, Ukraine is threatened with a humanitarian catastrophe in winter if a collapse in the power supply cannot be prevented. “Virtually all” larger non-nuclear power plants were hit by Russian missiles, said Ukrenergo Managing Director Volodymyr Kudrytskyi on , as were more than 30 percent of the substations.
“This is the largest missile attack on power infrastructure in history. Therefore, the impact is enormous. Unfortunately, the situation is critical. You (the Russian armed forces, note d. editor) are trying to deliberately destroy Ukraine’s energy system, and that is feeding tens of millions of the population,” Kudrytskyi was quoted as saying by the British newspaper on Tuesday.
Should Russia continue the attacks, “the power outages in Ukraine will become longer and longer,” Kudrytskyi warned, adding that despite best efforts, the utility was unable to repair the power grid as quickly as it was destroyed. “It’s obviously a lot easier to launch rockets than it is to restore substations,” he said.
Ukraine relies on EU aid against Russia’s “energy terror”
Against this background, Ukraine is seeking help in Europe against Russia’s “energy terror”. In addition to money and systems for restoring the energy supply, this also involves protection against new attacks.
Forty percent of the energy system is “severely damaged,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson on Tuesday in Kyiv. Russia will do everything “to destroy the normality of life” and does not take into account the costs of this “energy terror”.
Zelenskyj calculated that the most recent shelling on Monday “cost the equivalent of 2.3 million average Russian pensions”. “And that’s just for one attack.” Wednesday is the 252nd day of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
“The position of the terrorists is absolutely transparent, and this challenge should be seen as a challenge for the whole of Europe,” Zelenyksy said. Moscow will propaganda present the difficulties of the winter as alleged proof of the failure of a united Europe. “That’s why we have to show the terrorists together that ‘failure’ is a word about them and not about Europe,” said Zelenskyj.
In view of the advancing Ukrainian troops, the Russian occupiers are relying on the destruction of sensitive energy infrastructure. The winter could be a test for Ukraine – including for its allies ().
In Kyiv, EU Energy Commissioner Simson condemned Russia’s “targeted” attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which he said were “a cruel and inhumane tactic to cause human suffering as winter approaches”. She wants to do everything to “increase financial, technical and practical help”.
In the coming days, the Commission and the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, among others, will launch a campaign to mobilize further support from the private sector. The EU, the EU states and private companies have already supplied emergency energy equipment worth several million euros. “In view of the escalating attacks by Russia”, however, support must be increased.
French President Emmanuel Macron also sees an urgent need for action. He assured President Zelenskyy to “increase our military support for Ukraine, especially with regard to its air defence”. The water and electricity infrastructure was “considerably damaged” by the Russian attacks. “Before winter, action must be taken.”
“Now we’re talking about the survival of the system”
The Ukraine is also hoping for extensive help from Germany to get through the coming winter. The co-chair of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group, Halyna Yantschenko, said that two lists of required goods drawn up by the Ministry of Energy in Kyiv have been sent to the federal government. The wish lists therefore include devices for substations, commercial vehicles, cables, power generators and heaters.
At the request of star, The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) announced on Wednesday what additional aid is planned for Ukraine, that the Federal Government and the BMWK are in constant contact with the Ukrainian government and referred to . The specific content of the conversation is fundamentally confidential. A request from star to the Foreign Office remained unanswered by Wednesday afternoon.
Time is of the essence, according to Ukrenergo Managing Director Kudrytskyi. The focus is now on keeping the lights on. “Before the missile attacks, the main goal was to provide as much energy as our customers needed,” Kudrytskyi told the Guardian. “But now we are talking about the survival of the system.”
Sources: , , , , , with material from the news agencies DPA and AFP
Source: Stern
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