Through an agreement with the European Commission, Ukraine has received 5,876 solar panels to help power hospitals across the country, Ukraine's Energy Ministry announced to social media on July 2.
As Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have increased, Ukrainians continue to face lengthy, daily interruptions in access to electricity.
The panels, which were produced by Italian manufacturer Enel, will produce a total capacity of approximately 2 megawatts of electricity for hospitals in Zhytomyr, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, and Odesa oblasts, the Energy Ministry said.
"In the conditions of constant attacks by Russia on Ukraine's energy system, the medical infrastructure becomes very vulnerable. Power outages affect the operation of hospitals," Ukraine's Health Minister Viktor Liashko said in a statement.
"To enable medical institutions to provide uninterrupted medical care to patients, we are working on equipping them with alternative energy sources, including solar panels. This is an important step towards energy independence and the stable operation of medical institutions."
In its statement, the Energy Ministry noted that equipment used to install solar panels will be funded through the international Ukraine Energy Support Fund, and that number of hospitals receiving solar panels is expected to grow.
The agreement, dubbed "Ray of Hope," was spearheaded by Ukraine's health and energy ministries alongside the European Commission.
As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling blackouts on May 15.
Daria Shulzhenko
