German Development Minister Svenja Schulze was in Ukraine on Thursday to tout Berlin’s efforts to help civilians in the freezing months ahead.
“I have travelled to Ukraine to hand over our winter package,” the minister said upon her arrival in the capital Kiev.
Schulze said that in the more than 1,000 days of war, Russia’s goal has been to disrupt the energy supply so that people are left sitting in the cold and in the dark.
“That is why we have once again mobilized additional funds to help rebuild the energy supply here,” she added.
Schulze put the total amount of winter aid at €90 million ($94.5 million), enough to supply 2.6 million people with electricity and heat.
During her visit, the minister plans to hold talks with representatives of the Ukrainian government and civil society.
“I want to see for myself here that the money is actually going where it is needed,” she said.
The trip marks Schulze’s second visit to Kiev this year and her fourth to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Visit to Ukrenergo substation
Schulze visited a substation in northern Ukraine run by the state-owned electricity transmission system operator, Ukrenergo.
The facility has been hit by Russian attacks on several occasions, but authorities have now constructed protective structures to defend against Russian drone and missile attacks with the help of foreign aid.
“I can assure you that the reconstruction of destroyed facilities is worthwhile and that every euro is used as effectively as possible,” emphasized Ukrenergo executive Oleksiy Brecht during the tour.
The state-owned company has received more than €300 million from international donors for reconstruction and protection measures.
On site, Schulze also formally handed over one of seven mobile combined heat and power plants purchased for the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv.
“With a mobile plant like this, you can travel very quickly to wherever there is destruction and ensure that heat and electricity are available for the people again,” the minister said.
The plant, which has an output of 600 kilowatts, is transported by lorry and runs on gas.
