AFUO appreciates government support for Ukraine’s energy sector

The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) welcomes the Australian government’s decision to allocate an additional $10 million ($6.86 million U.S. dollars) to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. 

According to the AFUO, these funds will provide critically needed energy assistance to Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing airborne attacks on the country’s power infrastructure.

Ukraine is facing a humanitarian crisis due to large-scale Russian strikes targeting the energy network, aimed at inflicting maximum suffering on civilians, the AFUO said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already declared a state of “energy” emergency due to the incessant aerial attacks. 

“Children in Ukraine are at risk of frostbite and hypothermia, while millions more face days without heat, electricity or water in their homes, hospitals and schools. This support will help relieve some of their suffering and keep Ukrainian families alive as Russia’s winter attacks try to break the country,” said Kateryna Argyrou, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Sydney, and head of the AFUO.

Argyrou recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, visiting the Black Sea port city of Odesa and Kyiv, where she witnessed firsthand the devastation Russia has wrought upon the nation with projectile and drone attacks on civilians, families, and critical energy infrastructure. 

“I saw entire neighbourhoods plunged into darkness. My mother’s apartment building experienced significant power cuts, with no heat, light, or running water for days at a time. We slept in our coats, used candles to warm and cook basic food. My grandfather, who is recovering from a broken hip, was trapped in his freezing apartment because the lifts were not working,” she said.

At the same time, the AFUO has launched its own fundraising campaign to raise $150,000 to purchase emergency generators and other essential energy supplies for Ukrainian communities, families, hospitals, and children.