Ukraine is looking for an unglamorous antidote to Putin’s energy blitz | Daily News Byte

Ukrainian officials are pushing foreign partners to provide routine but potentially life-saving power generators and gas turbines as Kiev prepares for a dark winter of freezing temperatures and continued Russian missile attacks that seek to cripple the nation’s power grid and economy.

With Moscow’s invasion seemingly fatally stuck on the muddy battlefields of eastern and southern Ukraine, the Kremlin has turned to a campaign of far-reaching attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure, which critics say amount to war crimes, but which Moscow says is legitimate military action.

In response, Ukrainian authorities are desperate to fill the gaps in the damaged energy grid and keep vital Ukrainian facilities and services running.

Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, said Newsweek that additional generators are “really important for humanitarian reasons and also for our small and medium enterprises”.

“We have to go through a tough winter and the generators could be a big help,” Merezho said, noting that he had recently returned from a trip to South Korea and last month’s ASEAN summit in Cambodia.

Seoul has hired 20 “very powerful” generators, Merezhko said, adding that he has discussed the issue with other ASEAN delegations, including Australia.

I hope they will provide generators and other humanitarian aid to get through the winter,” said Merezhko.

‘Humanitarian disaster’

Kiev’s energy pressure is gaining momentum. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top officials have been warning for a long time about the challenges that winter will bring. With the first snow now falling thickly on battlefields and major cities, Western partners are expanding humanitarian efforts.

Last month, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence and President of Eurocities – a network of more than 200 of Europe’s largest cities – launched the “Generators of Hope” campaign to direct generators to Ukraine.

“They need practical support to get through the winter,” Metsola said. Nardella said the total number of donated generators could be up to several hundred.

Latvia is among the countries that have already donated generators, sending hundreds by the end of November, according to LSM, the Latvian state broadcaster.

Hard-pressed local authorities in Ukraine’s big cities are on the front lines of this new infrastructure war. The challenges and tensions are evident, even sparking a rare public spat between Zelenskiy and Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.

This was said by the deputy mayor of the western city of Lviv, Sergey Kiral Newsweek that more than half of Ukraine’s electricity production and distribution system was damaged by Russian missiles.

The blackouts and power rationing are designed to prioritize critical infrastructure, Kiral said, but further attacks could “nevertheless lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster with winter approaching and temperatures already below freezing.”

“The only way out is the rapid supply of effective air defense systems in sufficient quantities to close Ukrainian skies and increase the effectiveness of missile downing from 80 to 100 percent, and the supply of powerful diesel generators — 500 kilowatts to 2.5 megawatts — in large quantities to ensure all critical infrastructure – heat, water, communications – functions during the winter.”

“We are completely dependent on international aid, and in our case also on our partner cities,” Kiral said. “For example, about five powerful generators are already on their way from our sister city of Freiburg.

The ‘three lines’ of defence

Generators should be considered Ukraine’s last line of defense against a Russian offensive, said Pavlo Kuhta—former acting minister of economy and current adviser to the energy ministry— Newsweek from Kiev.

“There are three lines of defense,” Kuhta said. “The first and most effective is anti-aircraft defense that only shoots down missiles.” The second is that network repairs are done quickly and the necessary components are provided; the network is a very complex technological thing. , so any damage is difficult to repair. And the third thing is the generators.”

“Any kind of power generation capacity is very important right now.” Kuhkta added, noting that Russia is trying to “disintegrate” the Ukrainian grid primarily by destroying substations and disconnecting consumers from stations and facilities that produce electricity.

Ukraine is competing with European businesses and consumers for generators, for which demand has risen amid pan-European concerns about energy shortages and prices, Kukhta said. The generator’s reliance on fuel — mostly diesel or gas — can also have unintended effects. “Additional fuel supplies may be needed,” Kukhta said.

The Ukrainian government lives in this danger. Kyiv already gives priority at border crossings to vehicles transporting petroleum products. “I witnessed it working myself when I crossed the border at Medici and saw two or three tanks go around the line all the way to the front,” Kiral said.

The US last month announced $53 million in support for Ukraine’s power grid, which will help Kiev buy transformers, switches, vehicles and other equipment needed to repair the damaged grid.

The Secretariat of the Energy Community has asked European firms to donate spare parts to help with repair work, while a Turkish company is in talks to provide floating “power” to expand Ukraine’s grid.

‘Short Term’ Repair Generators

Oleksandr Kharchenko, head of the energy research center and adviser to the national grid operator Ukrenergo, said Newsweek that while essential generators are important for humanitarian purposes and small residential and commercial purposes, they will not be sufficient to protect critical infrastructure.

“This is a good short-term solution if you don’t have an option,” Kharchenko said, but added that more powerful but small truck-sized gas turbines – generating up to 35 megawatts – and additional transformers are needed to maintain the power grid.

“If you don’t have critical infrastructure and if you don’t have heat supply in big cities, generators won’t save you,” Kharchenko said.

“If Kyiv, for example, is equipped with 10 or 12 units, it means that Kyiv will be safe for all critical infrastructure; no risk with heating, no risk with water pipes that could lose power supply. Kharchenko estimated that 35 to 40 such gas turbines would cover the critical infrastructure needs of all major cities in Ukraine.

Kharchenko suggested that Ukraine needs about $250 million for gas turbines and $200 million for additional transformers. The $53 million provided by the US is “a good start,” he said, “but we need a little more.” It’s quite expensive equipment and the Russians know very well what to aim for.”

Gas turbines would be harder targets. “They are very small, about the size of a shipping container,” Kharchenko said. “They are very difficult to find where they are installed.” They are not on the old Soviet maps that they use to attack our energy infrastructure.”

Kharchenko said talks are underway to supply gas turbines with partners including the US, South Korea, Norway, Japan and several United Nations agencies. “We have already found many units,” Kharchenko said. “Now we are looking for money to buy them.”

There have been seven waves of major missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo said on Thursday that supplies had returned to 73 percent after the latest bombing, although Ukrainian airstrikes every day herald the possibility of renewed attacks and show the need for a better anti-aircraft umbrella.

Western partners are providing Ukraine with long-needed new air defense systems, and systems including the US-made NASAMS and the German Gepard are already proving their effectiveness against Russian weapons.

More is needed, although the amount that partner countries can realistically provide is limited by their own defense needs and the slow pace of procurement and production.

Merezhko said that the focus “absolutely” remains on comprehensive air defense. “Some countries, for various reasons, cannot provide weapons, but are more eager to provide humanitarian aid, including generators, to avoid a humanitarian disaster in Kiev and other cities.” Merezhko said.

Kukhta agreed. “If Ukraine is now rapidly loaded with sufficient air defenses to render the strategic bombing campaign ineffective, this is the most efficient and best way for everyone — primarily Western voters and taxpayers — to stop this Russian bombing campaign from doing damage,” he said.