Another harsh winter awaits the people of Ukraine. It’s getting colder these days. At the same time, the country is struggling with its energy infrastructure, which is still damaged by Russian shelling last year.
Due to falling temperatures, Ukraine is no longer able to produce enough energy to meet the increasing needs of the country’s people. “Electricity consumption continues to increase and there is a deficit in the energy system,” grid operator Ukrenergo said on social media on Thursday. Ukrenergo has already asked energy suppliers in neighboring Romania, Slovakia and Poland for support.
Last winter, Russia massively shelled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to Ukrenergo, repairs are still underway at several thermal power plants. The increasing energy consumption due to winter places an additional burden on the production facilities, which have to be maintained and repaired.
Hundreds of settlements in Ukraine without electricity
As a result of the Russian attacks and “other reasons,” 409 settlements in the country are currently without electricity, according to Ukrenergo. This affects the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in October that Russia would try to destroy power supplies in his country this winter. For protection, Kiev demanded additional air defense systems from its Western allies. In October, Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) promised Ukraine a further 195 million euros to secure energy supplies.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
