Norway will allocate €250 million for Ukrainian energy on the eve of winter.
This was reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Espen Barth Eide at a press conference in Kyiv with the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha.
These funds will not only restore and repair the damaged energy infrastructure, but also build new facilities that will be more protected against Russian attacks.
"For an energy infrastructure that is also more resilient, more distributed, so that it can be more easily defended against future attacks," said the Norwegian foreign minister.
During the visit to Kyiv, Espen Barth Eide together with Andriy Sybiha visited one of the thermal power plants in the Kyiv region, which was destroyed by the strikes of the Russian army.
According to the Norwegian politician, it is necessary to redouble efforts to repair energy in Ukraine and to prepare houses for frost, as a "harsh winter" is approaching. Espen Barth Eide emphasized that his country is working on this issue with key partners.
The head of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry added that the allies are working together to consolidate the political will to implement the victory plan, and emphasized that this will bring long-term security and peace for Ukraine, Norway and Europe in general.
Norwegian aid to Ukraine
Previously, Norway had already participated, in particular, in the purchase of air defense equipment for Ukraine, demining equipment, artillery ammunition, transport and engineering equipment, cranes, spare parts and equipment for servicing Ukrainian platforms and small boats.
The country regularly allocates defense support packages to Ukraine. So, in September, Norway allocated more than €48 million for drones and anti-aircraft defense for Ukraine, in October — $90 million for the expansion of weapons production.
On October 12, the Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjorn Arild Gram informed that a military attache would appear in the Norwegian embassy in Ukraine, who would be responsible for the defense cooperation of both countries. It is not yet known who will become him.
Attacks of the Russian Federation on the energy industry
Russia resumed massive attacks on Ukrainian energy this spring. Massive strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine are regular. Since March 22, the Russians have already destroyed more than 9 GW — half of the peak electricity consumption in winter.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that this winter, a deficit in the energy system may lead to power outages for 4-18 hours a day.
According to the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen Ukraine needs 17 gigawatts of power this year. The European Union will allocate €160 million to Ukraine to support energy security on the eve of winter. Part of the amount will be provided from frozen Russian assets.
And Slovakia declared that it would provide electricity to Ukraine in an emergency mode in the event of a blackout. On the eve of winter, the Lithuanian renewable energy company Ignitis grupė allocated €4 million to support the Ukrainian energy system.
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