Agency Report –
BERLIN — The German government announced Thursday it will provide an additional €70 million ($82 million) in emergency aid to Ukraine to repair and bolster energy infrastructure targeted by Russian strikes.
The funding is designed to stabilize basic services as temperatures drop across the region. German Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan told the Funke media group that the support is a humanitarian necessity.
“This funding will help ensure heat, running water, and electricity for more than 2.5 million people,” Alabali-Radovan said.
A significant portion of the package will be directed toward decentralized heating systems. By utilizing mobile heating units, Ukrainian municipalities can maintain warmth in critical facilities like schools, kindergartens, and hospitals, even if centralized power plants are disabled by ongoing attacks.
The minister noted that the specific nature of the aid followed a direct request from Ukrainian authorities, who have spent nearly four years defending the nation since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
“The support is urgently needed during the cold winter to maintain basic services for Ukrainians,” Alabali-Radovan added.
The move comes as Russia continues its campaign against Ukraine’s power grid, a strategy international observers say is intended to weaponize the winter cold against the civilian population.
