Ukraine’s energy minister says no power for Crimea until Tatars agree
Crimea is left without electricity (UNIAN photo)
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Ukraine will provide 20% of previous electricity supply following future repair – Demchyshyn
Ukraine’s energy minister says the government will not restore power to Crimea without the approval of Crimean Tatar activists, who are guarding the sites of the damaged electricity lines.
The Tatars, the peninsula’s indigenous people, say that since Russia took over they have experienced repression and violence.
Read also Crimean Tatar blockade of Russian-occupied region continues
Ukraine, Volodymyr Demchyshyn said, was ready to meet about 20 percent of Crimea’s power supplies once the line was repaired.
“At the moment taking into account the cold weather and unstable work of the energy system of Kherson region, I think it would be right to resume power supplies via the Kakhovka-Titan line and solve part of the problems. Again, all the political issues that have plagued the Crimean Tatar activists remain relevant and as I understand it, they will continue their action,” Demchyshyn said.
Read also Russia cuts coal to Ukraine in tit-for-tat response to Crimea blackout
The blackout has left nearly 2 million local residents reliant upon emergency generators and exposed how dependent Crimea remains on Ukraine; a year and a half after Russia invaded, held a sham election and officially annexed the Ukrainian territory.
The only countries in the world to recognise Crimea as Russian are Armenia, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
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