Russia restored power supplies to Crimea via undersea cable on Wednesday, ending an 11-day blackout, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday.
The new power line was inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Simferopol.
Current power supply capacity to the peninsula does not exceed 200 megawatts. A further 200 megawatts will be supplied by Dec. 20.
This will cover up to 90 percent of the peninsula's power needs, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday, RIA Novosti reported.
However, the current state of emergency in Crimea will not be cancelled until stable power supplies to the peninsula are established, Crimea's Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov said.
Crimea had previously received power supplies from Ukraine, but on Nov. 22, the power lines were blown up by Ukrainian activists. Last week Ukraine started repairing the lines but the activists demanded that the work be suspended.
One of the power lines was restored on Nov. 26, after Novak accused Ukraine of delaying repair work “for political reasons,” the RT news website reported at the time. 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.
