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Ukraine expects to start supplying electricity to the European Union network via its planned 'energy bridge' as early as 2019, and to complete the project by 2025, the head of the country's nuclear power plant operator said this week. The energy bridge will link unit 2 of Ukraine's Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant to Burshtyn Energy Island and connect with powerlines to Rzeszw in Poland and Albertirsa in Hungary.

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers adopted a decree on the Ukraine-EU energy bridge in June 2015. This followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the project in March between Energoatom, Ukrenergo and Polenergia. The project aims to make the export of electricity possible by disconnecting Khmelnitsky 2 from the Ukrainian national grid, and to attract funding required to complete units 3 and 4 at the plant.

Energoatom president Yury Nedashkovsky told delegates at the Ukrainian Energy Forum, held in Kiev between 28 February and 3 March, the project would be the "first step on the way to fully integrated strategic synchronisation of the Ukrainian and European energy systems".

"We expect, as the result of having a long-term export contract, to receive a financial instrument for solving the issue of infrastructure development in Ukraine, increasing the efficiency and capacity of our power units, as well as completing two power units at Khmelnitsky that are currently in a closed state with a high degree of construction readiness," he said. Units 3 and 4 are 73% and 28% complete, respectively, he added.

The project will add 1000 MWe of nuclear power capacity to the existing export potential of Burshtyn Island, which is currently supplied exclusively by 550 Mwe of thermal generation capacity.

Energoatom said on 3 March that the total 1550 MWe will be the "cornerstone" on which the possibility of the Ukrainian power system operating in synchronicity with the system managed by ENTSO-E will be be based. ENTSO-E - the European Network of Transmission System Operators - represents 42 electricity transmission system operators from 35 countries across Europe. The total capacity available will eventually be as high as 2550 MWe, Energoatom added.

Energoatom expects upgrading Khmelnitsky 2 and its connection to Burshtyn Island, and other work to support its ultimate connection to the ENTSO-E power system to cost about 47 million ($50 million).

Back-up power sources will be provided, Nedashkovsky said, to prevent electricity 'blackouts'. Power demand in Ukraine is decreasing, Energoatom said, making the prospect of exporting electricity even more attractive. The company expects to produce 82 GWh of nuclear power this year, down from 88 GWh in 2015.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

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Ukraine sets sights on EU power export in 2019 - World Nuclear News

Kyiv Post

How to fight Russian propaganda, from a Ukrainian who's been battling the post-truth era for years Quartz As the US Congress and intelligence agencies investigate Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election, there are some people visiting Washington, DC with a lot of experience of fighting that kind of thing. Since its 2014 revolution ... US: Russia's activities in Ukraine impair human rights at homeThe Ukrainian Weekly (press release) (subscription) Klimkin says Ukraine can demonstrate Russia's violations of intl law in UN courtKyiv Post French investors begin to work actively in Ukraine KlimkinUkrinform. Ukraine and world news all 33 news articles »

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How to fight Russian propaganda, from a Ukrainian who's been battling the post-truth era for years - Quartz

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, has concluded a five-day visit to Ukraine. With hundreds of thousands of people living in towns and villages close to the front line, he expressed alarm about their living conditions following the dramatic increase in fighting in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the year.

"Hundreds of thousands of people are living under the perpetual threat of shelling, shooting, and landmines. Their access to basics like food, water and electrical power has been dramatically curtailed," said Mr Maurer. "The functioning of the Donetsk water filtration station, on which tens of thousands depend, has been repeatedly disrupted as a result of the fighting. Only last week, it stopped functioning for several days and our teams began trucking in water, supplying nearly 150,000 litres in under a week," said Mr Maurer. He reiterated the ICRC's call for a series of "safety zones" to be established to better protect critical water, gas and electricity installations on the front line.

On top of the threat posed to civilians by the rise in hostilities and the poor living conditions many are experiencing, the ICRC is concerned that people's ability to move around is being severely constrained, due to the difficult situation at the crossing points. Mr Maurer called for "concerted action" to be taken to improve the situation for civilians trying to cross the line of contact. They often have to wait for many hours exposed to heat, cold and the threat of shelling and landmines.

During his visit, Mr Maurer met the president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, and other senior Ukrainian government officials. He also met with local representatives of other districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

Following his meetings in Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk, Mr Maurer reiterated his call for ICRC delegates to be granted "systematic and unhindered access" to all detainees held in connection with the Ukraine conflict, on all sides.

In addition, Mr Maurer spoke on the issue of people missing in connection with the conflict. "There are a large number of people but no-one knows the exactly how many, perhaps between 1,000 and 2,000 missing as a result of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Finding answers and supporting their families is one of our priorities," he said.

"Our dialogue with the authorities on this issue has so far been very constructive. But we must not lose momentum. Having a means for the sides to share information on missing people will be key to resolving cases," added Mr Maurer. The ICRC is ready to act as a neutral intermediary, between the sides, on specific humanitarian problems. It has adopted this role to help resolve a number of issues related to the water supply, detention and other key humanitarian concerns since the start of the Ukraine conflict.

For further information, please contact: Sanela Bajrambai, ICRC Kyiv, tel: +380 67 509 42 06 Jennifer Tobias, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 536 92 48, jtobias@icrc.org

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Ukraine: ICRC president alarmed at deteriorating conditions for civilians on the front line - ReliefWeb

Sputnik/ Anton Denisov

The President [Trump], when it comes tohis overall negotiating strategy, has made it clear that ina variety ofcircumstances that his philosophy is not one that says Im going totell you what Im going todo inorder tomaximize his negotiating strategy, Spicer said onFriday when asked aboutsending arms toUkraine.

The US National Defense Authorization Act passed underthe Obama Administration provides funding and authority forthe President ofthe United States tosend "lethal defensive weapons" toUkraine. Russian officials have repeatedly warned that the United States injecting arms intothe conflict inUkraine will only escalate the crisis.

The White House spokesman also reiterated the Trump Administrations position that sanctions will remain inplace againstRussia untilthe situation inCrimea is resolved.

In a tweet onTuesday Trump complained that Russia had "ran over" the United States duringthe 8 years ofthe Obama Administration and "picked offCrimea."

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White House Refuses to Disclose Information Related to Sending Arms to Ukraine - Sputnik International

Kiev (AFP) - The biggest foreign investor in Ukraine expressed alarm Thursday over a weeks-long blockade of railway lines for transporting coal between the separatist east and the rest of the ex-Soviet state.

The halt was started in January by Ukrainian war veterans and volunteers who sought to prevent Russian-backed insurgents from receiving cash from trade with Kiev.

Global steel giant ArcelorMittal expressed concern over the stoppage and said its operations near the war zone had been affected by the "challenging situation".

A statement from the Luxembourg-based company said it had developed a "crisis plan of operation" due to the "emergency state" of the energy sector.

But its stock still fell by nearly two percent in late afternoon European trading.

ArcelorMittal bills itself as the world's largest integrated steel and mining company. Its operations in the war-scarred state make up just a fraction of its global production.

But the company's message sent a clear signal to the pro-Western government of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that something needed to be done.

Ukraine is hesitant to move against the strikers for fear of a backlash from nationalists who make up an important portion of the Ukrainian parliament.

Poroshenko also needs to spend political capital on the passage of International Monetary Fund austerity measures required for Ukraine to receive urgent loans.

- 'Possible risks' -

ArcelorMittal has a plant in the mining city of Kryviy Rih that needs coal to produce steel. The city is in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region that is outside the war zone.

Its website says the Kryviy Rih plant is the biggest exporter in Ukraine.

The firm said it had already run out of certain types of coal that are "crucial raw materials" and said it was gearing up for "possible electricity blackouts" in the region.

It said production was at normal levels but could be affected at any time.

"The company is concerned about the possible risks regarding future supplies," it said.

The activists blocking the railway accuse corrupt Ukrainian authorities of allowing the flow of goods to fund the rebels.

They say the rebels have smuggled contraband alcohol and tobacco into the rest of Ukraine along with the shipments of a specific type of coal found only in the east.

The insurgents' leader in the separatist province of Donetsk on March 3 said he would retaliate by trading only with Russia.

Rebels began exporting the coal to Russia on Monday and started taking over dozens of Ukrainian businesses in the separatist east earlier this month.

Ukrainian Central Bank chief Valeria Gontareva has warned that a year-long blockade could shrink Ukraine's growth outlook for this year from 2.2 percent to 0.7 percent.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said it could cost Ukraine some 75,000 jobs.

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Biggest Ukraine investor alarmed over coal blockade - Yahoo News