Crimea not to get Russian electricity till 2020 – experts

The conclusion is stated in the report made by the Kyiv Independent Analytical Center for Geopolitical Studies Borysfen Intel, available to Ukrinform.

"The recent crisis events concerning the electricity supplies from the mainland Ukraine to Crimea have revealed the utter helplessness of the Russian government and its henchmen in Crimea in addressing the basic needs of the peninsula’s population. The promise to connect Crimea to the Russian power grid at the end of this year is another bluff of the Kremlin as such a network will be able to start working not earlier than in 2017 even in the best-case scenario," reads the report.

The experts point out that Russia is lying when announces the plans to lay a special powerful cable on the Black Sea bottom to provide electricity to the occupied peninsula in the near future.

"According to the official data published on the website of the Russian Energy Ministry, this cable, at best, will be laid across the Kerch Strait by the end of summer next year; and the power distribution system from it (if they do manage to lay it to the coast of the Crimea) is planned to be mounted by the end of 2017. Besides, a transmission line has to be built (ETL “Rostov-Taman”, 500 kV) on the Russian shore to supply electricity power to the Crimean peninsula. It is expected to complete construction of the 500 km long transmission line by the end of 2020," the analysts note.

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