The European Union is exploring ways to increase aid to Ukraine’s energy sector, which has suffered damage from weeks of Russian attacks, European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said during a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
“I’m in Kyiv today to help increase support for Ukraine’s energy sector,” she said in a tweet. “I have witnessed the scale of destruction in Ukraine first hand and I am making every effort to increase financial, technical, and practical assistance.”
Simson called Russia’s attacks “a cruel and inhumane tactic to cause human suffering as winter approaches.”
Additional assistance will have to come from EU institutions, member states, international partners, and private donors, she noted.
The commissioner traveled to Kyiv after weeks of Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, particularly power plants.
Simson plans to meet with Ukrainian authorities and energy companies to discuss how the EU, international partners, and the private sector can help.
She will also discuss the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the security of supplies, and the future reconstruction of the energy system.
