Crimea State of Emergency Could Be Lifted

The state of emergency enforced in Crimea after power transmission to the peninsula from Ukraine was halted, could be lifted in the coming days, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea, Mikhail Sheremet, said.

Crimea was left without electricity last week after Ukrainian nationalists blew up pylons that support electricity lines from Ukraine. Following the electricity blackout, Crimea declared a state of emergency and switched to locally-based emergency power generation.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the launch of the first leg of an "energy bridge" between Russia’s mainland and Crimea.

"I think that, most likely, in view of the incoming power, the state of emergency will be lifted in the coming days," Sheremet told RIA Novosti.

He added that power cuts will be minimized in the coming days and heating will be restored.

According to the Russian authorities, the first leg of the "energy bridge" to Crimea will significantly decrease electricity deficit in the republic, while the construction of the second leg by May 2016 is expected to completely eliminate Crimea's dependency on electricity from Ukraine.

According to Sheremet, Crimea does not expect to receive power from Ukraine as the situation there is unstable and there can be no guarantees of electricity supplies.

Kiev claims that "activists" have been obstructing repair works of the damaged electricity lines. Ukraine’s radical Right Sector organization pledged on Monday to continue its energy blockade of Crimea.

According to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Moscow could respond to the Crimea blackout by halting coal deliveries to Ukraine.