Prime Minister Schmyhal
Ukraine warns of new “migration tsunami” in winter
Evacuees from Kherson walk up a flight of stairs after arriving at the train station in Dzhankoy. photo
© Uncredited/AP/dpa
Recently, Russia has increasingly attacked infrastructure in Ukraine. In many areas, the power supply is interrupted. The prime minister warns that this could reach critical proportions in winter.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has warned of a large number of more refugees in the wake of the recent Russian airstrikes on his country. “If there is no electricity, heating or water in Ukraine, it could trigger a new migration tsunami,” he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper (FAS). Schmyhal accused Russia of wanting to “plunge Ukraine into a humanitarian catastrophe” by attacking its civilian infrastructure. The Ukraine should be given a cold winter in which many people could freeze to death.
In view of this, he asked for “mobile equipment for generating electricity and heat” and for water treatment plants. There is still enough fuel for the generators “at the moment”, “but if there is a large-scale power and heating failure, we will need more”. Then his country would also need “electricity imports” from the West. In addition, the Prime Minister asked Germany for further military aid.
Ukraine is “impatiently” waiting for new ammunition that is “needed now,” Schmyhal said. “It’s literally a matter of days.” Jammers are also needed to fend off the “twenty to thirty Iranian kamikaze drones” that Russia uses against Ukraine every day. Schmyhal praised the newly delivered German Iris-T anti-aircraft missile system. It is now in use and has “already saved many, many lives”.
Schmyhal would like to use the Russian assets frozen abroad for reconstruction. He said the damage from Russia’s attack is now “more than $750 billion.” At the same time, there are frozen Russian assets worth $300-500 billion. “We should develop a mechanism to confiscate Russian assets,” he said.
On Monday, Schmyhal will open a German-Ukrainian economic forum in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), where top representatives of both countries want to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine. Several ministers from the Ukraine will travel to Berlin or connect online, as the organizers announced.