Putin asks Crimeans to 'be patient a little longer'
Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the head of the Kremlin controlled Crimean government, Sergei Aksenov, said that the residents of Crimea need "to be patient a little bit longer," when referring to the energy crisis on the peninsula.
According to him, the second line of the energy bridge from the Kuban to Crimea might be finished "by May 1st or earlier."
"We just have to be patient for a little more. I think that the construction will be completed by May 1st for sure, or, maybe sooner," Putin said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
In response, Sergei Aksenov assured that Crimeans "understand the situation and will wait patiently."
"The completion of the second line of the energy bridge is scheduled for May 1st. I think that, as always, with your support, the job will be finished earlier," Aksenov said.
On December 30th, 2015, Crimea stopped receiving electricity from mainland Ukraine due to damage to the electricity pylons, probably as a result of the explosion in the Kherson region. The power transmission line which was supplying Crimea with up to 250 megawatts was restored, but the supply of electricity is still halted because the supply contract expired.
Now annexed by Russia, Crimea is supplied by its own power generation, generator sets from Russia and the Kuban-Crimea energy bridge. The energy bridge can't withstand the high load, so there are frequent accidents. Many residents complain about the unequal distribution of power between regions.