Extra power cuts possible in Ukraine as weather worsens, PM says

Tetyana Oliynyk - 7 January, 21:43

Cars and lorries drive along a wet motorway in thick fog. Photo: Kyiv City State Administration

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has reported that further unscheduled power outages are possible as snow builds up on power lines and causes adverse road conditions.

Source: Svyrydenko on Facebook

Quote: "We are expecting weather conditions to worsen across Ukraine from tomorrow. A cyclone will enter Ukraine via Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts at around 04:00.

Forecasts suggest that nighttime temperatures will fall to -20C and daytime temperatures to -10C. There may be additional disruptions to the electricity supply outside the scheduled outages due to snow build-up on power lines and worsening road conditions."

Details: Svyrydenko added that the government has adopted a series of decisions to ensure that all services are ready for the severe weather and people can receive help in time.

The government has issued the following instructions:

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) and the National Police of Ukraine, are to ensure that snow-clearing and heavy engineering equipment, off-road vehicles and mobile warming units are ready and to deploy them quickly to assist road users if needed.
Ukraine's Agency for Restoration, oblast administrations and Kyiv City Military Administration (KMA), together with local authorities, are to respond promptly to the effects of severe weather, including preparing fuel reserves and treating roads with anti-icing mixtures.
The relevant ministries and services are to make invincibility centres ready for deployment in the event of disruptions to the electricity, heating, gas or water supplies or problems with communications.
The Ministry of Energy, together with the Ministry for Development and state energy companies, are to ensure the stable operation of the energy system, keep repair teams on standby to respond rapidly, and if necessary increase electricity generation and the supply of gas, including by importing energy from EU countries.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!