EU energy chief arrives in Kyiv to boost support for Ukrainian energy sector

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The EU's top energy official arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday to gather support for the Ukrainian energy sector, hit multiple times by Russian attacks.

"I am in Kyiv today to help scale up support to the Ukraine energy sector. Ukrainian energy infrastructure is under targeted attack by Russia - a cruel and inhumane tactic to cause human suffering as the winter is approaching. The EU stands by Ukraine to help them until they prevail," EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on Twitter.

In her visit that came a day after Russian missile strikes left many areas in Ukraine with no electricity or water, Simson said she was working to increase financial, technical, and practical assistance to the country, having witnessed the scale of the destruction there.

"This has to come from the EU institutions, the member states, our international partners and private donors. We have no time to waste!" Simson added.

Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been the target of Russian airstrikes since the start of the war in February, stepped up after an explosion damaged the key Kerch Bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Earlier, the US Department of State had announced a two-day visit to Ukraine by Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried.

The Ukrainian government rolled out plans on Oct. 20 to cut energy consumption across the country by 20% due to the lower output from damaged energy facilities.

According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 30% of the country's power stations were destroyed in Oct.10-18.