Aura Sabadus: Ukraine faces energy crisis as Putin weaponizes gas and coal supplies

Published Nov. 5, 2021 at 1:38 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States via video conference call, at the Novo-Ogarevo state residence, outside Moscow, on Oct. 15, 2021.

Photo by AFP

As the winter season draws closer, Ukraine faces an energy crisis on multiple fronts which could lead to political instability and deepen the country’s dependence on Russia. On 1 November, Ukrainian officials announced that Russia had stopped thermal coal exports just as stocks were five times lower than the government’s expected volumes at this time of year.