Ireland has provided €6 million to fund the rebuilding of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including the ongoing destruction of its energy capacity by Russian forces.
Ukraine and EU leaders have expressed grave concerns over the coming winter, with estimates that 70% of the country’s energy capacity has been destroyed.
The head of Ukraine’s state grid operator recently said the country is facing its “hardest” winter since the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022, with the prospect of civilians facing up to eight hours of power outages.
Average temperatures in Ukraine between December and February range from 2°C to -4.8°C, but conditions can get as low as -20°C.
From October 2022 to September 2024, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure facilities suffered 1,024 Russian attacks, according to the country’s energy ministry.
Authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have said that Russia is preparing to target three Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
He said Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is hoping “to torment millions of Ukrainians…ordinary families — women, children — by leaving them in the dark and cold this winter”.
According to the United Nations, Russian forces launched nine waves of long-range and large-scale coordinated attacks on Ukraine’s electric power system between March 22 and August 31, 2024.
It said this has “disproportionately impacted groups in a situation of vulnerability, such as older persons, those with disabilities, households with lower incomes, with women particularly affected”.
It said there are reasonable grounds to believe Putin has “violated foundational principles of international humanitarian law”.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Ireland condemns Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure.
“International humanitarian law provides for certain protections which are applicable to civilian infrastructure,” the statement said. “Attacking civilian energy infrastructure, as Ukraine prepares for another difficult winter, is particularly cynical and indicative that Russia has no genuine desire for peace.”
It said Ireland is supporting efforts to “urgently increase” Ukraine’s energy security before the winter and address the immediate humanitarian and civil protection needs of the population.
“In 2024, Ireland is providing €23.5 million in humanitarian funding to Ukraine, channelled through UN agencies and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the statement said. “Ireland’s funding supports shelter, cash assistance and other winterisation activities, as well as wider humanitarian support.
“Ireland has also provided €6 million to the World Bank Group for the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund to fund critical infrastructure projects, including in the energy sector.”
The statement said the EU has provided €400m out of the €629m Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which funds repairs, as well as the supply of transformers and mobile gas turbines for power generation.
It said other departments have provided in-kind and monetary supports to Ukraine. It said through this mechanism, ESB and Gas Networks Ireland have provided equipment and spare parts for repairing gas and electricity networks.”