Crimea has water reserves for 1.5 years – regional head
Crimea has accumulated water reserves that are twice as big as in the previous year, the regional head, Sergey Aksyonov, told TASS news agency on Monday. The territory had suffered from periodic shortages beginning in 2014, when Ukraine cut off water supply through a canal located in the Kherson region.
“We aren’t experiencing any water [supply] problems now,” Aksyonov said, adding that all water reserve basins are now storing 100% of the planned reserve volume. The reserves are sufficient to supply Crimeans for a year and a half, the region’s head added.
Even draught would not be much of a problem for Crimea now, as Russia controls the North Crimean Canal, according to Aksyonov. Built during Soviet times, the channel brings water from the Dnieper River through the Kherson region to Crimea.
The canal, which, according to some estimates supplied up to 90% of the peninsula’s water needs, was shut down by Ukraine after Crimea voted to join Russia at a referendum eight years ago. Between 2014 and 2022, the locals had to rely on scarce local water supplies. The peninsula was severely hit by a draught in 2020, prompting local authorities to introduce drinking water delivery schedules for several cities, including the regional capital of Simferopol.
The canal was seized by Russian forces after they gained control over most of Kherson Oblast in spring 2022 during Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. The Kherson region then voted to join Russia together with three other former Ukrainian territories in late September.
