UNDP to invest over $50 mln in energy infrastructure improvement in Odesa
Photo: illustrative
The UN development program plans to implement a project to strengthen the energy infrastructure of Odesa worth more than $50 million.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported this.
What is the problem?
In the winter, the Russian army constantly attacked Ukraine, including Odesa, with missiles and drones. One of the central objects of the energy infrastructure of the Odesa district was damaged, and a fire broke out there, which left Odesa and some nearby territories without electricity.
Ukrenergo [an electricity transmission system operator in Ukraine and the sole operator of the country's high-voltage transmission lines – ed.] explained that the large-scale accident at the substation occurred due to the failure of the equipment, which was repeatedly restored after Russian missile attacks.
What is the solution?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the quick response of the coordinator of the UN system in Ukraine, the humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown, and the work of the representatives of UN agencies, funds, and programs in Ukraine to overcome the humanitarian consequences of the shelling by the Russian Federation of the city of Odesa and the port infrastructure of the region.
How does it work?
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offices of six UN agencies are operating in Odesa today, supporting the government of Ukraine and local authorities in humanitarian response and recovery.
In addition, the United Nations Development Program is working to strengthen the capacity of Odesa's energy infrastructure through the installation of alternative energy sources to ensure the energy supply of utilities and the city's critical infrastructure.
"In particular, in order to generate enough energy to meet the needs of basic utilities before the winter period, the implementation of the project worth more than 50 million dollars is expected, which will include the installation of a gas turbine, a transformer with a capacity of 80 MW, compressors, nine gas generators, and control stations," – informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ukrainian diplomats also expressed their conviction that the results of the work and conclusions of the UNESCO mission should be widely communicated to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) member countries.
This organization conducts a comprehensive assessment of the damage caused to cultural and religious objects of Ukraine by missile strikes carried out by the Russian Federation in July of this year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the UN Representative Office in Ukraine also plan to hold a "Fair of procurement and suppliers for the needs of the UN" in Odesa in order to support local business and increase the volume of purchases by UN agencies on the Ukrainian market.
"The purpose of the event is for UN agencies to receive information about Ukrainian goods and services and to raise the awareness of Ukrainian business about UN procurement practices," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
As noted in the foreign policy department, the Ukrainian side welcomes the fact that the UN leadership clearly indicates that human suffering and destruction are occurring in Ukraine due to hostile actions by the Russian Federation.
"We call on the international community and the leadership of the UN to condemn the actions of the Russian Federation as an aggressor country, which grossly violates the UN Charter and the fundamental norms and principles of international law, and to intensify political and economic measures of pressure on the Russian Federation with the aim of restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine as soon as possible," they emphasized in the department.
For reference:
It should be noted that on August 2, in the south of Odesa, Russia struck the port, industrial infrastructure, and an elevator.
"Another night of war, another night of the work of our heroic air defense. We defend ourselves with the maximum of our available forces. Many Shahed drones were shot down. Fortunately, there were no casualties," Zelensky said on Telegram.
The military also showed the consequences of Russia's night attack on infrastructure facilities in the Odesa region.
As a result of shelling in Odesa at night, almost 40,000 tons of grain, which were waiting for in Africa, China, and Israel, were destroyed.
As Rubryka reported, on the night of August 2, Ukrainian air defense shot down 23 Russian Shahed drones.
