BRUSSELS, Sept 19 (Askume) – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that 160 million euros from seized Russian assets will be allocated to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Ukraine this winter.
Russia destroyed about 9 gigawatts (GW) of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which von der Leyen said was “equivalent to the energy of the three Baltic countries combined.”
In addition to cash aid, the EU will help with repairs and boosting exports. The International Energy Agency said on ThursdayAs peak power demand rises, Ukraine could face a power shortage of up to 6 gigawatts this winter.
Fuel-fired power plants in Lithuania are being dismantled and will be rebuilt in Ukraine, where 80% of thermal power plants have been destroyed. A third of Ukraine’s hydroelectric power has also been lost.
“Our goal is to restore 2.5 gigawatts of capacity, which is 15% of Ukraine’s needs,” von der Leyen said of the repair work.
In addition, he said the EU will increase exports and supply 2 gigawatts of electricity to Ukraine.
