In September, Ukraine raised the electricity price for Crimea by 15% to 3.95 rubles per kWh. Volodymyr Demchyshyn, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine said today, on October 20.
He condemned attempts to disrupt the power supply to the peninsula. “You heard the statements of the initiative groups…for suspension of the power supply to Crimea, but it is a political decision…it is not right to disrupt the power supply,” the minister said.
The press office of Crimea’s Ministry of Fuel and Energy has already commented on Demchyshyn’s statement saying the possible increase of electricity price by Ukraine will not affect either the peninsula’s energy security or the electricity price for consumers.
EADaily reported earlier that the unknown blew up two poles of the Melitopol-Dzhankoy power line in Chongar community, Kherson region overnight to interrupt the power supply to Crimea. They tried to blow up the pole by 82mm caliber mortar mines, but the power line resisted. In this light, Moscow admits that it will be able to supply power to the entire peninsula no sooner that in 2018 when two thermal power plants and the gas pipeline from the Krasnodar region will be built. This is what makes Russia go on concessions to Kiev concerning the electricity price. Experts say Russia’s response will be tough and large-scale, considering that Ukraine fully depends on the supply of Russian energy resources.