Russia continues to destroy Ukraine’s power grid
On the night of October 26 into October 27, the Russian forces struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again. Following the damages caused by the attacks, more rolling blackouts were imposed. Drones hit targets in Kyiv region, starting a fire.
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, an electricity deficit in Kyiv may amount to 30 per cent, electricity supplier Yasno of the DTEK group said in a statement. Power outages will be longer and will affect more consumers.
Kyiv normally consumed 1,000-2,000MW of electricity but now the estimated available power is 600-800MW, Yasno said. “Almost half of Kyiv may plunge into darkness,” the energy supplier said.
To avoid a total blackout, national energy company Ukrenergo will order distribution network operators to limit energy consumption. Power outages will be longer and will affect more consumers.
Ukraine test imports electricity from EU for first time ever
On Thursday, state energy trader Energy Company of Ukraine implemented the first-ever test imports of electricity from the EU, Europeiska Pravda said quoting the company’s statement. Ukraine test imported one MW of power from Slovakia.
The Energy Company of Ukraine obtained the right to import electricity through an open auction granting it access to interstate power grids. Ukrenergo conducted the auction.
“Technical capacity to import electricity from the EU to Ukraine is another tool to stabilize the energy grid. We should be ready to apply it,” general director of the Energy Company of Ukraine Vitaliy Butenko said.
Ukraine applied to join EU’s electricity grid ENTSO-E in March, and obtained the right to export its energy to the EU in June. The country launched commercial exports to Romania and Slovakia at the end of June. On October 10, following Russia’s missile strikes on energy facilities, Ukraine said it halts electricity exports to the EU.
Grain deal: Ukrainian ports work at 25-30 per cent capacity as artificial queue forms
Bulk carrier Callisto carried 30.5 tons of wheat to Algeria, becoming the second ship to carry grain to the country. It waited for inspection in the Bosphorus Strait for two weeks, Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure said.
“It took the ship 25 days to reach the port of Algiers from Chornomorsk in Ukraine, 14 days of which it stood in the Bosphorus Strait loaded with Ukrainian grain waiting to be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center,” the statement reads.
In the Bosphorus Strait, 175 ships are now waiting to be inspected. Russia blocks inspections creating an artificial line that jeopardizes the “grain initiative”, the Ministry said.
“Ukrainian ports are forced to work at only 25-30 per cent of capacity,” the Ministry said. At the same time Ukrainian port handling services are doing their utmost to speed up cargo processing. BC Callisto was loaded in three days.
“The number of inspection teams is insufficient. The UN and Turkey support the need to increase the number of inspectors, as the delay looms on food security and security in the Bosphorus,” Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuriy Vaskov said.
Jews and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine in Flames #231
According to estimates, around a quarter of a million Jews lived in Ukraine before February 24, 2022. How did their lives change with the start of Russia’s all-out invasion? Human rights activist Josef Zissels, Rabbi Liron Ederi from Kryvyi Rih, and head of the cultural center of the Hesed Shaarey Zion Jewish Charity Foundation Hanna Rozen discuss.
