Zelensky highlights that Russian attacks have considerably reduced Ukraine’s energy capacity. He maintains that Russia will only start thinking about peace when it is prevented from “terrorizing” Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called for more air defense systems to protect Ukraine’s cities and its energy infrastructure, arguing that they are the answer to stopping the Russian invasion.
“It is terror inspired by missiles and bombs that helps Russian troops advance on the ground,” Zelensky said in Berlin during the third International Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
“As long as we do not deprive Russia of the possibility of terrorizing Ukraine, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will have no real interest in seeking a just peace,” he added, ensuring that “air defense is the answer.”
Zelensky further stated that the Russian bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure caused the Halve Ukraine’s electricity production from winter..
“Russian missile and drone attacks have already destroyed nine gigawatts of capacity. Last winter’s peak electricity consumption was 18 gigawatts. Therefore, half of this no longer exists today,” Zelensky said.
According to the Ukrainian leader, 80% of thermal production and a third of hydroelectric production were destroyed by Russian attacks, which in recent months affected numerous Ukrainian power plants, following a bombing campaign the previous year that had already caused cuts. massive.
Zelensky also accused Russia of attacking gas storage facilities and systems connecting Ukraine’s power grid to that of the EU.
In the wake of the Russian attacks, the national operator Ukrenergo announced this Tuesday the extension of energy rationing to the entire country.
“Today, the restrictions have been extended to all of Ukraine from 2 to 11 p.m. (12 to 9 p.m. in Lisbon), said Ukrenergo, which organizes the rotation of power cuts.
The day before, rationing hours were two hours shorter and the company hoped this Tuesday that the restrictions could be limited to 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (12:00 to 5:00 p.m.).
But “consumption continues to increase,” while “Ukrainian power plants cannot produce as much electricity as before the attacks due to the considerable damage they suffered,” Ukrenergo said.
According to the same source, imports from European countries are not enough to compensate for the system’s deficit.
Energy security and the restoration of Ukraine’s power grid are one of the 10 points of the Ukrainian president’s peace plan, which will be on the agenda of a summit in Switzerland on June 15 and 16, to which Russia did not attend. guest
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that Ukrainian electrical facilities were legitimate “military” targets.
Source: Observadora
