State Of Emergency As Crimea Loses Electricity
This means the peninsula will be without electricity for the foreseeable future. “We will defend the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and all Ukrainians who are living on occupied territory”. Russian Federation has warned of retaliatory measures.
Tatars loyal to Kyiv and other pro-Ukrainian activists have been enforcing an unofficial blockade between mainland Ukraine and the peninsula since September in an effort to amplify their unhappiness with Russia’s annexation.
“Not only is Crimea suffering, but the Kherson region is also suffering, Ukraine’s energy industry is suffering”, Novak said.
The ban on cargo traffic comes as most of Crimea remains in darkness because of a power blackout caused by explosions at four primary electricity towers in Ukraine over the weekend. Some 150 schools were also without power, the BBC said.
About the only services available were public transit and hospitals, which were getting their electricity from generators.
The blackout has knocked out street lighting and cut cable and mobile internet.
State-run energy firm Ukrenergo said it hoped to finish repairs on all the damaged lines within four days.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn was due to hold a press briefing later on Monday and Ukrenergo’s Boska was due to meet with the activists.
“If the prepayment is not provided, then gas supplies to Ukraine will be stopped”, Miller stressed.
Last week, Russian Federation reiterated a threat to introduce a blanket ban on food supplies from Ukraine from January 1, saying Kyiv’s landmark agreement with the European Union will damage Moscow’s economic interests.
Russia’s Gazprom will stop gas supplies to Ukraine if no prepayment is done by Kyiv.
The flag of Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group that has largely opposed Russian control of Crimea, was seen attached to one of the downed power poles, according to Vice News.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe recently confirmed “numerous credible, consistent and compelling accounts of human-rights violations” amid repeated allegations that Crimean Tatars have become the target of extra-judicial arrests, disappearances, murder, and violence.
Poroshenko said Ukraine needs to coordinate with its worldwide partners to secure the liberation of arrested activists, restore the broadcasting of Crimean media, and allow Crimean Tatar leaders to return to their homes. The authorities on the peninsula proclaimed a State of emergency and set up a crisis unit.
The first is expected to be operational before the end of the year and provide Crimea with 400 MW of power.
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