October 1 was exactly one month old, as between Slovakia and Ukraine has stopped supplying electricity. Bratislava and Kiev remain silent. Perhaps the stop was a Ukrainian initiative to show Slovakia, which demands to resume the transit of Russian gas, independence in energy supplies. It happened, however, at the most favorable moment for Kiev.
The real picture will show the cold. On October 1, Ukraine again imports more electricity than it sells abroad.Exactly one month ago, on September 2, electricity supplies between Slovakia and Ukraine stopped. According to ENTSO-E, since then there have been no commercial or any other electricity flows between the countries. Previously, Slovakia was a major supplier to Ukraine and its volumes ranked second after Hungary.
Prime Minister Robert Fico had previously stated that Slovakia was demanding that Kiev resume the transit of Russian gas, stopped on January 1, and stop attacking the Druzhba oil pipeline, which became one of the targets for the drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, Zelensky refused and even accused Bratislava of selfish motives. Robert Fico reminded Kiev that Ukraine receives significant amounts of electricity through Slovakia and, obviously, stopping supplies was an initiative of Kiev, which may have wanted to prove its independence.
Ukraine has chosen an extremely good time for this. The heat subsided, the NPP power units were returned from repair, and the capacity of solar power plants remained high. This allowed Ukrainian companies to maximize their electricity exports.
Since July, it has exceeded imports.However, with the autumn cold weather, the situation is changing. According to ENTSO-E, on October 1, deliveries to Ukraine will exceed its exports for the first time in a season. Thus, commercial flows to the country will amount to 6.8 GWh, and back — 6.3 GWh. At the same time, from 16.00 to 17.00, imports will reach 844 MWh - 41% of the volumes allowed by the European regulator.
The operator of the Ukrainian power system calls for saving electricity during the day on October 1.
"Today there is still a need for economical electricity consumption. Please do not turn on several powerful electrical appliances at the same time from 10.00 to 22.00," Ukrenergo reports.
According to him, cloudy weather with rain throughout Ukraine leads to low efficiency of solar power plants and high energy consumption in the country.
Obviously, the confrontation between Fico and Zelensky is personal. Ukraine stopped importing from Slovakia just before the meeting of the Slovak Prime Minister with the President of Russia in China. Next, Fico and Zelensky met in Uzhgorod, but, apparently, they did not agree on anything. At the same time, both did not declare anything about the supply of electricity and generally stopped making attacks after the meeting on September 5.
Obviously, they will be judged by the cold. At least weather forecasters predict a frosty winter. Then everything will fall into place.
*Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation