SIMFEROPOL (Crimea), (Sputnik) – Crimea was left without electricity in November, 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.
Russia has started constructing an "energy bridge" to provide Crimea with electricity.
Two lines of the energy bridge "are working in normal mode, supplying between 360 and 400 megawatts of electricity from the mainland of the Russian Federation daily," Aksyonov told the Russian NTV channel.
The first line of the first leg of the energy bridge between Russia’s mainland and Crimea was launched on December 2. The second line was put into operation on December 15.
Two more lines are planned to be launched in April-May 2016. According to Aksyonov, the construction of additional power lines could be completed ahead of schedule.
Crimea broke away from Ukraine to rejoin Russia in March 2014 following a referendum in which over 96 percent of Crimea voters supported the move.
