West must boost aid to stop Russia plunging Ukraine into the dark

24/9/2024 12:21

        Russia is trying to knock out Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the winter to leave it dark and in the cold, the EU's foreign policy chief said on Monday, saying Kyiv's Western allies needed to step up in providing air defences for Ukraine.
        
        Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's energy system has been targeted, resulting in rolling blackouts and limited electricity supply to some regions for hours each day. Those attacks have ramped in recent weeks ahead of the winter.
        
        Ukraine's electricity supply shortfall could reach 6 gigawatts this winter, about a third of the expected peak demand, the International Energy Agency said in a report published on Thursday.
        
        "It's clear that Russia wants to put Ukraine into the dark and the cold. The winter is coming, and following Russia attacks against energy targets, Ukraine energy production capacity has been reduced by two-thirds," Josep Borrell told reporters at a press conference in New York.