Power outages in Ukraine caused by Russian shelling not only create discomfort for the civilian population but also complicate the production of weapons, writes the New York Times. This slows production and increases costs; for the military industry in wartime, sufficient electrical supply is critical. To that end, in addition to importing electricity from neighbors, Ukraine is asking its Western partners for help in the form of power grid equipment.
It is impossible to purchase or order the production of new equipment quickly. The only way to expedite the procurement of such equipment is to get used equipment from countries that no longer need it. Many Eastern European countries with the necessary electrical equipment have started working on its transmission. Against the background of the government’s appeals to businesses and citizens to consume electricity sparingly, the Ukrainian business community has expressed concern over constant power outages.
However, Ukrenergo claims that restrictions on electricity consumption do not affect the defense industry’s operation as it is protected from blackouts.