Russia launches 4th power line to Crimea:
Russia has launched a fourth and final line supplying electricity from the Russian mainland to annexed Crimea.
President Vladimir Putin oversaw the May 11 launch of the new line, saying in a video link from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, "We managed to break through the energy blockade of Crimea within a brief period of time."
The line brings Russia's electricity supply to Crimea to 800 megawatts a day, which Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said will fully meet Crimea's needs.
The energy bridge is a series of undersea cables across the Kerch Strait located between Russia and Crimea.
Crimea continued to buy electricity from Kyiv after Russia forcibly annexed the peninsula in March 2014.
But Crimea was plunged into darkness in November, when unidentified individuals blew up power lines linking the peninsula to the Ukrainian grid.
Kyiv denied responsibility for the sabotage. (AP, Reuters, TASS, Interfax)
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (click to enlarge):
