Yalta has been in sweltering darkness for two weeks. No sign of a break yet.
Yalta has been without power for almost two weeks. The last time power was on in homes in Gurzuf, Massandra, Nikita, and the villages of Voskhod, Magarach, and Ai-Danil was on Tuesday, July 21st – on Wednesday night, an attack knocked out the substations.
Since then, there has been no electricity supply, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The situation has partially stabilized in certain areas of Yalta, which are connected to the Krymenergo district power grid. The situation is somewhat better in Foros and Opolznevoye, which were successfully connected to the Sevastopol line. However, electricity is only available during the day—from 21:00 PM to 05:00 AM. It's pitch dark in Yalta.
The power outage is especially acute during the summer heat. Those hoping to cope with the sweltering heat with air conditioners are now faced with serious inconveniences. Residents left without power for two weeks are forced to seek alternative solutions.
Those who have managed to order generators through marketplaces feel more confident. However, operating generators is associated with significant costs: gasoline costs up to 200 rubles per liter, and the cost per kilowatt-hour is significantly higher than the tariff.
Residents are faced with a difficult choice: start the washing machine, cool the refrigerator a little, or wait for the power to be restored. However, there's no timeline yet for when full power will be restored.
There are persistent rumors among those close to the power sector about plans to relocate power from the eastern part of Yalta to Alushta. However, Alushta's power generation system is unable to cope with the load: power grid failures occur daily.
In Yalta, the incident in which Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov harshly criticized local officials is hotly debated. It emerged that the modernization and repair of the power grids was only on paper; in reality, the grids were operating with highly flammable Soviet-era oil-fired generators. Currently, no one can estimate the timeframe for the repairs and installation of new equipment.
At the end of last week, a proposal was made to create a reserve of necessary equipment for the rapid restoration of electricity supply in Crimea.
Administration staff and members of parliament have been tasked with reassuring Yalta residents, and they are trying various approaches to address the problem. Field kitchens have been set up in areas without electricity, but they have not attracted much attention.
Some advocacy groups are purchasing gas cartridges in bulk for portable camp stoves so residents can cook hot meals. These measures are reminiscent of the way of life of past generations, when food was cooked on primus stoves.
In addition to electricity problems, the region is facing a dire communication problem. Mobile phone service is patchy and poorly received, and internet access (including landline) is unavailable—transmitters are without power.
Due to a lack of information and communication difficulties, many residents feel abandoned. Acting Head of the Yalta Administration, Sergey Olefirenko, encourages people to report problems via messaging apps and social media—but this solution doesn't help those whose mobile phones have long been disconnected.
Meanwhile, Yalta residents continue to call the hotline of Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov. It turns out that the hotline doesn't always have full information about the scale of the problem.
Compensation of 15 rubles per family member is insufficient to cover the losses incurred by residents. There are few tourists in Crimea this year, and those who do often leave in search of more stable housing. Residents have no means of covering the costs of generators and fuel.
English version :: Read in English Yalta has been in sweltering darkness for two weeks. No ray of light yet.