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Crimean leader says ‘enemy’s sabotage’ behind republic’s blackout

Crimea’s energy minister Sergey Yegorov said Ukraine unilaterally cut electric power supplies to Crimea earlier on Wednesday
View of the town of Bakhchisarai, Crimea ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
View of the town of Bakhchisarai, Crimea
© ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, has condemned Ukraine’s move to cut the Black Sea peninsula off from power supplies on Wednesday.

“Enemy’s sabotage has not stopped,” Aksyonov told journalists, adding that the republic is currently “reviewing its capacities.”

Crimea’s energy minister Sergey Yegorov said Ukraine unilaterally cut electric power supplies to Crimea earlier on Wednesday. He later said Kiev partially resumed the supplies, which are to be fully restored by 3:00pm Moscow time.

Yegorov said talks were underway with Ukraine on stopping the blackout which paralyzed the whole territory of Crimea. This came as the Crimean parliament was expected to hold its last session this year.

The news also came a day after Aksyonov announced that Russia signed a contract with Ukraine on electric power transit to Crimea saying it will guarantee uninterrupted electric power supply from Ukraine.

At present, the peninsula depends on Ukraine at peak times.

No effect on combat readiness in Crimea

The blackout in Crimea on Wednesday has not affected the combat readiness of Russian military units on the peninsula, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

“When Ukraine cut off power to the backbone lines, supplying electricity to Crimea, all the facilities of Russia’s Armed Forces were automatically switched over to autonomous reserve sources of electric power supply,” the ministry said.

The combat units and military units’ forces on duty in Crimea continue working in the routine mode.