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Crimea re-launches gas supplies to Ukrainian town

At 20.28 Moscow Standard Time (17.28 GMT), following the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimea’s head Sergei Alksyonov, gas supplies to Ukraine have been organized

SIMFEROPOL, November 12. /TASS/. Crimea has re-launched gas supplies to the Ukrainian town of Genichesk and the adjoining region, the Crimean government’s press service said on Saturday.

"After carrying out the required technical, regular work, the lead engineer of the Chernomorneftegaz gas pipelines company opened the valve at the order of Crimean Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Kazurin," the statement said. "Thus, at 20.28 Moscow Standard Time (17.28 GMT), following the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov, gas supplies to Ukraine have been organized. The gas supplies are launched."

Earlier in the day, TASS reported that Aksyonov came up to the president after a meeting of the State Council in the city of Yaroslavl and informed him that residents of the town of Genichesk and the adjoining region had again asked Russia to resume supplies of natural gas. Aksyonov reminded that in 2015 residents of the Ukrainian town of Genichesk were left without proper heating but then in line with Putin’s order the freezing town was supplied with gas and heating from Russia.

Situation in Genichesk "close to a disaster"

The Genichesk district of Ukraine’s Kherson region receives gas from the Strelkovoye gas field (Ukraine) but during winters the gas supplies to the region are organized from Crimea’s Glebovsky underground gas storage in the Chernomorsk district.

The situation in Genichesk "is close to a humanitarian disaster," Aksyonov told Putin on Saturday. According to information obtained by Crimea’s government, this year resembles last year’s scenario, when people were left without gas and thus, without proper heating.

Earlier, TASS reported that on January 2, 2016 through the bitter cold and snowy winter with sub-zero temperatures reaching minus 14 degrees Celsius, Genichesk faced limited capacity of the Strelkovoye gas field, located on the shelf of the Sea of Azov off the Kherson region. Pressure in the city's gas distribution system had been reduced, cutting over 1,500 consumers off gas supplies. Two days later, on January 4, 2016 at Genichesk Mayor’s request Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an instruction and the Crimean enterprise launched gas supplies to the town, amounting 20,000-25,000 cubic meters per day for the winter period.

In the autumn, Genichesk residents filed a request with Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov to resume gas supplies to their region.