Aura Sabadus

Russia’s invasion fails to prevent progress in Ukraine’s energy sector - opinion

For the past seven months, Russia has been waging a campaign of airstrikes against Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure with the goal of plunging the country into darkness. These regular bombardments left millions without heating and electricity for much of the winter season but failed to break Ukraine’s spirit. Crucially, Russia has also been unable to disable the country’s energy system. On the contrary, recent months have witnessed a number of encouraging developments which promise to further integrate Ukraine into the wider European energy industry.

11 May, 12:21 PM 490

Russia is losing the energy war as Putin’s winter gas attack backfires – opinion

Vladimir Putin expected to use gas exports this winter to blackmail Europe and weaken Western support for Ukraine. Instead, this tactic appears to have backfired disastrously and critically undermined Russia’s position on European energy markets.

15 April, 12:16 AM 618

Ukraine needs urgent help to counter Putin’s energy infrastructure attacks

Russia launched its largest bombardment yet of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on November 15. The wave of attacks on targets across the country was part of Moscow’s efforts to deprive the Ukrainian civilian population of heating, water, and electricity ahead of the winter season. Russia’s airstrike campaign to methodically destroy Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure is raising fears of a humanitarian disaster with tens of millions potentially at risk.

18 November 2022, 11:33 AM 245

Europe must be ready for Russian gas blackmail

Since the middle of June, Russian producer Gazprom has reduced gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 corridor to Germany by around 60% of daily contract quantities, prompting the federal government in Berlin to raise the alarm level to alert (the second out of three warning levels) and to prepare for worse to come.

10 July 2022, 10:21 PM 513

Ukraine defies Russia and launches electricity exports to EU neighbors

Ukraine’s synchronization with the electricity grid of continental Europe moved up a gear at the end of June with the landmark launch of commercial exports to neighboring Romania. Such an achievement would have been unthinkable just five months ago.

9 July 2022, 12:21 AM 635

Disarming Russia’s energy weapon: Ukraine begins electricity exports to Moldova

Less than two months after synchronizing with the European electricity grid, Ukraine has begun landmark commercial energy exports to neighboring Moldova in a move that is likely to further dent Russia’s grip over the region.

20 May 2022, 05:06 PM 653

Ukraine prepares to unplug from Russian electricity amid invasion fears

As Russia continues massing troops close to the Ukrainian border, fears are rising over a possible dramatic escalation in Vladimir Putin’s eight-year undeclared war against Ukraine.

12 February 2022, 11:33 AM 486