Crimean authorities accuse Ukraine of terrorism for cutting the power supply
The head of the State Committee of the Crimean government for International Relations and Deported Citizens, Zaur Smirnov, during a round table devoted to the Day of Solidarity in the fight against terrorism, said that stopping the supply of electricity from mainland Ukraine is considered "terrorism" on the Peninsula, as reported by the press service of the State Committee.
"Today, a terrorist is not only a man with a gun in his hands. A terrorist is a person who has a powerful ideological resource, bearing a nationalist nature in himself," the press service quoted Smirnov as saying.
"The energy blockade of the Crimea is an attempt by the subversive groups from Ukraine to penetrate into our territory. We consider all of this as terrorism; actions that bear a threat to the life and health of Crimean citizens," he added.
Due to the damage to the power lines in the Kherson region, on the 22nd of November, 2015 the power supply in the annexed Crimea was stopped. It was resumed after the repair of the power lines on the 8th of December. However, on the 30th of December, 2015 the power lines were damaged again. After the repairs the power lines have not been put into operation and electricity in the Crimea has not been delivered due to the termination of the contract. The Crimea now generates its own power and also receives power from Russian generator sets as well as via the energy bridge from the Kuban.
On the 10th of August, 2016 the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) reported that on the night of August 7, 2016 it arrested a group of Ukrainian saboteurs "who allegedly were preparing terrorist attacks in the Crimea.” The Ukrainian authorities deny the accusations and called the incident a "provocation" by the Russian Special Services.