Ukraine scraps duties for energy equipment imports amid energy crisis

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament voted on Tuesday to scrap taxes and duties on imports of energy equipment as the country battles a severe energy crisis due to Russian bombardments.

Over the past three months, Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities have left millions facing extended blackouts as well as a lack of water and air conditioning during the summer heat.

The parliament approved two laws to cancel customs duties and value-added tax on imports of equipment for electric generators, wind and solar generation, and powerful accumulators, said Danyo Hetmantsev, a senior lawmaker.

Energy Minister German Galuschenko said the change would make it easier for businesses and residents to obtain alternative energy sources.

"The state is doing everything to get as much foreign aid as possible for the Ukrainian energy system, including expertise, financial, and technical (support)," Galuschenko said.

The government had accumulated over 551 million euros in its specialised fund to support the sector's repairs, he said.

Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks on the Ukrainian power sector since March, knocking out the bulk of thermal and hydropower generation. Ukraine has since lost about half of its available generation capacity.

Another lawmaker, Dmytro Razumkov, hailed the move as "the right step" and urged his colleagues to consider more legislative changes to extend preferential import rules to generators, inverters, power banks, and other equipment until June 2026.

"It is no longer possible to imagine life and work without generators and charging stations," he said on the Telegram messaging app.

"In autumn and winter, demand for them will only increase, along with prices. So we have to act now."

(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Christina Fincher)