Massive scale: Zelenskyy reports on Russia’s impact on generation capacity
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
A series of recent Russian attacks on the energy system has disabled up to 10 GW of generating capacity in the power grid. Some facilities will not be able to recover even before the start of the next heating season, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with Bloomberg.
According to him, the Russian attacks have caused a daily electricity deficit reaching 5–6 GW during peak load hours. Some facilities damaged by the Russian army's attacks will not be able to recover before the next heating season.
Regarding the restoration of what Russia has destroyed, Zelenskyy urged against letting optimism about progress in peace negotiations overshadow the real funding challenges facing Ukraine.
Currently, both the restoration sector and the area of military capability needed to deter any future Russian attack require substantial funding. Without clear sources of financing, Ukraine could face an economic shock. Reconstruction, social spending, and military support over the coming years will require billions of dollars.
"That would require a clear funding mechanism, with European participation, since even potential financing from frozen Russian central bank assets wouldn’t cover needs in the longer term," the outlet notes.
Meanwhile, in the European Parliament, during debates, the Holodomor that Russia orchestrated in Ukraine was equated with genocide. MEPs also called for new sanctions against Russia and increased supplies of air defense systems to Kyiv.
This winter, due to enemy attacks and abnormal cold, Ukraine’s energy sector was placed under a state of emergency. The situation remains most severe in Kyiv, where the Russian forces continue to carry out attacks one after another.
Specifically, on the night of February 3, Russian forces struck the city’s energy facilities, including the Darnytsika thermal power plant, which provided heating to many residential buildings and social institutions.
Only on February 10 was it reported that heating had been restored in apartment buildings in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district after the massive enemy strike. Heating had been partially restored earlier in the Darnytskyi district. However, several buildings remain without heating due to technical issues.
