Ukraine says it has enough energy for winter amid Russian attacks
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Loading... - Khepri Yousef
- 25 Jan 2023
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After months of attacks on energy facilities, Ukraine is working with partners to speed up repair work.
Ukraine has enough coal and gas reserves for the remaining winter months despite Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
Shmyhal said the situation in the energy sector remains difficult but under control after a months-long Russian campaign of drone and missile attacks on critical infrastructure that damaged approximately 40 percent of the energy system.
“For now, all Russia’s attempts to plunge Ukraine into darkness have failed,” Shmyhal told a government meeting on Monday.
“We have enough reserves to continue and end the heating season in normal mode. About 11 billion cubic metres of gas are stored in gas storages and nearly 1.2 million tonnes of coal are in storages.”
Shmyhal added that the government had approved a decision to allow the state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, to receive a 189 million euro ($205m) grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and development.
Despite a warmer-than-usual December and January, Ukraine’s regions are experiencing power blackouts due to an energy deficit.
But Shmyhal said the country has continued to work with partners to speed up repair works, recover distribution facilities, and implement new energy efficiency programmes.
Russia launched an aerial campaign of missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure to increase the pressure on Kyiv over the winter after Ukrainian forces made a series of battlefield gains.
Ukraine has condemned the aerial attacks as “war cimes”. Russia has consistently denied attacking civilian targets.
At a meeting of Ukraine’s allies last week, pledges were made to send air defence systems and other weapons to bolster Kyiv’s capabilities to repel the Russian attacks. Read More…
