Destroyed infrastructure puts Ukraine's energy supply at risk this winter
The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a warning on Thursday about Ukraine's energy supply this winter, calling it "the biggest challenge" for the country since Russia's initial invasion in February 2022. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will discuss the situation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday.
Continued bombing by the Russian military has destroyed around half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Some 9 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity has been destroyed since the war began. "Ukraine's energy system survived the last two winters, but this year it will face its toughest test," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.
"Ukraine's energy system survived the last two winters, but this year it will face its toughest test"
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv on Friday to discuss the situation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. "We must do all we can to keep the lights on and the brave people of Ukraine warm as winter approaches," she said during a press conference on Thursday.
160 million euros in aid
At the press conference, von der Leyen presented a aid package worth 160 million euros to help Ukraine through the winter. 60 million will go to humanitarian aid, such as shelters and heating systems. A further 100 million will be used to restore production capacity and renewable energy in Ukraine from the proceeds of blocked Russian assets in the EU.
The EU aims to provide 2GW of electricity itself, and restore another 2.5GW of local capacity by providing new production equipment. That includes supporting the decommissioning of a cogeneration plant in Lithuania, which will be rebuilt in Ukraine. The EU also wants to help decentralise the energy system by installing solar panels on roofs, which are harder to hit and easier to repair.
Ukraine is not the only country whose energy supply is at risk this winter. Russia has announced that it will stop supplying natural gas to Moldova by the end of this year. Ukraine's neighbour currently depends on Russian gas for two-thirds of its total energy supply.
PHOTO © Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP
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