Denmark will provide EUR 6 million to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
According to the government portal, this was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna and a Danish delegation led by Minister of European Affairs Maria Bjerre Holst, who arrived in Kyiv on a visit.
“At the beginning of the meeting, Maria Bjørre Holst announced a new aid package to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure: EUR6 million will be allocated to the Energy Community’s Energy Support Fund for Ukraine,” the statement said.
Stefanishyna thanked Denmark, which is currently one of the leaders among Ukraine’s partners in terms of aid as a percentage of its own GDP.
As reported with reference to the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko, the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine since its inception in the spring of 2022 and as of early October has accumulated approximately EUR 700 million for the restoration of Ukrainian energy facilities. Earlier, the Minister said that Denmark became the first sponsor of the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, contributing to the restoration of the Ukrainian energy infrastructure in April 2022, its first donation amounted to EUR 0.5 million.
The Energy Support Fund for Ukraine was established on the joint initiative of Galushchenko and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson in the spring of 2022. Contributions to the Fund were made by, among others, Germany (about EUR300 million), Australia, the United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden, Iceland, and Estonia.
Denmark will allocate 130 million Danish kroner (about $19.4 million – IF-U) to Ukraine to restore energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, the Danish government’s press service reports.
The aid was announced by Minister of Climate, Energy and Supply Lars Oagard during a meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga at the G7 Working Group on Ukraine’s Energy Security.
“Not only is Putin’s army invading Ukraine’s borders, Russia is violating the rules of war by launching massive attacks on Ukraine’s electricity and heat supply. Winter is just around the corner, and many Ukrainian homes will be left without heat and electricity. And that’s not all, ordinary employees of the energy sector who work tirelessly at their jobs are being targeted. We must do everything we can to make the Ukrainian energy system as resilient as possible,” said Oagard.
The Danish donation is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will, among other things, support emergency measures and the procurement of equipment and spare parts to help restore security of supply. The support is provided in cooperation with UNDP, the Energy Community, the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Red Cross.
The international corporation NEFCO (Nordic Environment Finance Corporation) is launching a EUR 7.2 million project to reconstruct the water supply system in Mykolaiv’s Korabelnyi district with funding from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NEFCO press service reports.
NEFCO and the city administration of Mykolaiv have signed a new grant agreement for the reconstruction of the water supply system in the Korabelnyi district, which has been selected as a pilot. A total of EUR 7.2 million has been allocated for the project, as well as technical assistance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
As reported, Mykolaiv’s water supply system has been out of service for almost 2.5 years after the destruction of the main water supply system in April 2022. Residents of Mykolaiv depend on emergency water supply, which is provided mainly by trucks and supplemented by desalination of salt water from the Dnipro-Bug estuary, as well as newly drilled wells. Many citizens are forced to take water for their daily needs from centralized emergency water supply points.
The densely populated Korabelnyi district of Mykolaiv, where water leakage reaches 40%, was chosen to implement a demonstration project to restore and reconstruct the entire water supply system. The goal of this project is to reduce water losses and increase the energy efficiency of water distribution processes by identifying water leaks, improving water supply efficiency, and creating a sustainable basis for further development of the freshwater system in Mykolaiv. New wells will be installed and pipes will be replaced.
Earlier, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said that a feasibility study had already been developed with the French company Egis to provide water supply for the entire city, the first of three phases of implementation could cost about EUR130 million, and the city was looking for sources of funding – “both public funds and donor funds.” And as an example, he cited a grant allocated by Denmark in the spring of 2024 – up to DKK 40 million (approximately EUR 5.36 million) through the Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF) program.
This project is also being implemented in the Korabelnyi district, and involves the replacement of about 11 km of pipes, which is about 8% of the total length of the network in the district; installation of 55 main meters with remote data collection in multi-storey buildings; and replacement of pumps at three water pumping stations. The project is currently in the procurement phase, with the tender expected to be announced in September.
The Netherlands, together with Denmark, will produce CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine, and together with Germany – Patriot.
This was announced on Friday by the Dutch government.
“The Netherlands, together with Denmark, is participating in a €400 million Swedish fund to create CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine. Most of them will be produced in the Netherlands. In addition, Germany is launching a European assembly line for Patriot missiles, partly due to demand from the Netherlands,” the press release said.
In addition, the Dutch Ministry of Defense is also investing 54 million euros in the Dutch industry to develop drones for its own armed forces. This is included in the action plan to increase the production and supply of military equipment, the Dutch government said.
The Danish government is allocating a new humanitarian aid package for Ukraine in the amount of DKK 250 million (€33.5 million), which, in particular, provides for the protection of the most vulnerable groups, the press service of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.
“…With this new support package, we aim to provide urgent and vital humanitarian assistance and protection to the most vulnerable groups,” said Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jorgensen.
The package provides basic emergency assistance such as food, medicine, water and shelter for Ukrainians in the most affected areas of the Russian aggression, with a special focus on protecting the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.
“The support package also contributes to efforts to prevent, mitigate and respond to the particular risks faced by women and girls, including the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, and contributes to the provision of, for example, psychosocial support and maternal health care,” the statement said.
The Danish government and parliament have agreed to increase military support for Ukraine by another DKK 4.4 billion (EUR 590 million) this year, the press service of the Danish Ministry of Defense reports.
“Today, the Danish government and the Socialist People’s Party, the Danish Democrats, the Liberal Alliance, the Conservative People’s Party, the Social Liberal Party and the Danish People’s Party have agreed to increase the framework of military support for Ukraine by another DKK 4.4 billion in 2024,” the statement said on Thursday.
Defense Minister Trolls Lund Pulsen noted that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Denmark has been one of the most active donor countries.
“We must continue in the same spirit, so I am pleased that a broad majority of parties in the Danish parliament support the addition of an additional DKK 4.4 billion to the Military Support Fund for Ukraine in 2024. It is extremely important to show Ukrainians that we support them in this serious situation,” he emphasized.
The Ministry notes that most of the funds already allocated for military support in 2024 have already been used. However, the Danish government and parliament agreed on the need for further military support for Ukraine this year, so it was decided to increase it.
“The purpose of military support under the Fund for Ukraine in 2023-2028 will continue to be to provide direct military support to Ukraine in the form of weapons, other military equipment and training efforts. This includes the purchase of equipment, weapons, etc. from Danish and foreign defense companies for transfer to Ukraine, as well as financial donations and cooperation with other countries to support Ukraine,” the statement said.
In addition, representatives of the Danish government and parliament agreed that the possibility of direct purchases from the Ukrainian defense industry can be realized if the necessary control mechanisms are in place.
In total, the total amount of military support under the Ukraine Fund, taking into account its increase, will amount to DKK 64.8 billion (EUR 8.7 billion) in 2023-2028.
