Germany, Lithuania scouring closed power plants for parts for Ukraine
Decommissioned power plants in Germany and Lithuania are being examined to see if parts can be salvaged and sent to Kyiv in order to repair and restore Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes.
Ukrainian specialists are already in Lithuania looking for parts and Germany recently offered to open up theirs for examination, Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on national TV on April 21.
Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts.
In March, attacks reportedly damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company.
Halushchenko said that manufacturing the necessary equipment to get power plants working from scratch would be impossible to accomplish before this winter.
“That's why I emphasize to my colleagues and partners that we need to get the most of what’s already available. It can be new or used, but even if it needs certain repairs, we will do that so that it is operable as early as this winter to accordingly increase (generation capacity),” he added.
It’s hoped that this weekend’s passing of a crucial U.S. aid bill for Ukraine will prevent further damage to energy infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant was destroyed because Ukraine had run out of missiles to defend it during an attack.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the entire country from Russian attacks.
After Kyiv ramped up the calls on allies to receive more air defense systems, Germany launched a new initiative to secure more critically needed air defenses for Ukraine, the Tagesschau outlet reported, citing spokespeople of Germany's defense and foreign ministries.
Read also: UK allocates over $180 million to bolster Ukraine’s energy sector
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