The European Commission stated that russia destroyed half of the electricity generation needed for Ukraine to get through the winter, potentially leading to a humanitarian catastrophe

Russia has destroyed half of the electricity generation necessary for Ukraine to survive the winter. This was reported by the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, in an article for the British newspaper Financial Times.

"Following its full-scale invasion in February 2022, russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with massive air strikes, captured energy installations, such as the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, and destroyed electricity transmission lines", - she reminded.

According to Ms. Simson, to date, russia has destroyed or captured around 9GW of Ukraine’s electricity production. This is half of the electricity Ukraine needs in winter.

The potential lack of electricity could lead to disruptions in water supply, sewage systems, and the shutdown of central heating.

"In freezing winter temperatures, some places in Ukraine may simply become unliveable", - she warns.

Kadri Simson also noted the significant support provided to Ukraine's energy sector by the European Union, but said that it is not enough.

Russian media reprinted part of Ms. Simson's article, conveniently omitting statements that directly blame the kremlin for the crisis in Ukraine's energy system.