Ukraine's state-run energy company Ukrenergo has reached an agreement with the activists who sabotaged power lines supplying electricity to Crimea. The company will repair one of the power lines without resuming power supply, the Vedomosti newspaper reported Monday, citing Ukrenergo's statement on the company's Facebook page.
“Energy supply will not be restored yet,” the statement read, citing acting director of Ukrenergo Vsevolod Kovalchuk.
Two weeks ago explosions damaged the supporting pylons of several power lines in Crimea, which led to a power blackout on the peninsula. Last week Ukrenergo started repairing one of the lines, but then had to suspend the work by demand of activists who sabotaged the lines.
On Monday Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that a new energy line from Russia to Crimea must be built faster and called the actions of the Ukrainian government a “diversion.”
“The region is left without electricity as a result of what can be called energy manipulations and the actions of Ukrainian authorities. In legal terms what has been done is a diversion — destroying industrial objects to pursue, basically, terrorist goals,” he was cited by the TASS news agency as saying during a meeting with deputy prime ministers on Monday.
Earlier Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak accused Ukraine of delaying repair work “for political reasons,” the RT news website reported last week. Novak added that Moscow would consider halting coal supplies to Ukraine in response, the report added.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
