Ukrainian electricity imports increase after the last wave of Russian attacks

Daily imports will rise today for 2024 after the last wave of Russian missile attacks on critical infrastructure that caused damage to production and distribution resulting in blackout in many areas, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry reported today (26.3.2024). The attacks, the largest of which occurred on Friday (22.3.2024), caused major damage to electricity production and distribution infrastructure, forcing Kiev to stop electricity exports. Electricity imports are expected to arrive today at 18,649 megawatt hours (MWh) from 14,900 on Sunday says the ministry in an announcement. On the contrary, Ukraine exported 3,300 MWh daily, one day before the first wave of Russian attacks on 22 March. Ukraine had been linked to the European Union’s unified network, in the first weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. Electricity imports come from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Moldova, the operator of the Ukrenergo network told the agency. Ukraine, which has an extensive civilian nuclear energy sector, was a clean exporter of electricity before the invasion and Russian occupation that followed the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Large area damage In the northeastern border town of Harkiv and parts of the south-east region of Zaporizia, 200,000 residents have been left without electricity since last Friday’s attacks. “Very great damage to the energy system makes it impossible to connect all residents and homes to the network and there are parts of the city where power cuts last 4-6 hours,” Harkiv mayor Ihor Terehov told state television. “Today the subway is already running, however…(other) electrical means of transport are not working today in Harkiv,” he said. Volontimir Kudritsky, head of Ukrenergo, who manages the distribution network, said in an update to Harkiv broadcast by television, that the company has plans to restore electricity supply. “It is still difficult to guarantee any timetable, but we will need a period of 7-10 days, possibly two weeks, to normally restore electricity supply to the city. Provided there is no new disaster,” he said. Emergency power outages are also taking place in the city – port of Odessa in the Ukrainian Black Sea region. Odessa Deputy Governor Serhii Kropiva told state television that 23,000 residents were left without electricity today at noon while “the transportation system was almost completely restored”. He also said that the Black Sea maritime transport corridor continues to operate despite the attacks. “The ships sail periodically from all ports located in the Odessa area,” Kropiva said. Moscow has stated that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is legitimate targets and such attacks aim to weaken Kiev’s army. He also said that the latest attacks constitute retaliation for the Ukrainian attacks that overshadowed the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin.