Ukraine lacks both money and specialists to restore its energy sector, expert says

MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Ukraine cannot restore its energy facilities due to a lack of funds and specialists, Alexander Kharchenko, director of the Energy Industry Research Center, said on the LIGAnet YouTube channel.

"They were short on money, and they still are. Right now, due to a lack of finances, payments are not made, including for the equipment that was supposed to be delivered to Kiev and other cities," he said.

"There is a fairly large amount of equipment from partners that has been 70% paid for. But they can't pay the remaining amount to completely install it. I know that all the mayors are now running around their offices trying to find the least bit of money, because this is a really big problem."

According to him, Ukraine needs about 20 billion hryvnias ($44.5 million) ahead of the coming winter.

Kharchenko also said that there are simply not enough people at each site. "There are not enough specialists, starting with managers who can organize the work, up to common electricians. It is impossible to find certified electricians now. These are just ‘golden’ employees now," the expert noted.

Kharchenko predicts that there will be no electricity supply for 16 hours a day in some areas of Kiev. Earlier, his colleague Stanislav Ignatiyev said that the Ukrainian capital receives about 80% of all electricity from the Rovno nuclear power station through the Kiev substation as he suggested this site too could soon be attacked and take damage.