Ukraine turns to Belarus for energy supplies to grapple with emergency issues at several power and heat plants, said state agency Ukrenergo in a statement issued Tuesday.

Kyiv said it bought 3,500 MV to prop up its power grid  calling it an ‘urgency’ prompted by a spike in  seasonal energy consumption that has put a strain on  domestic power generating plants. ‘Emergency repairs ’ were faced by  power plants in Kurakhiv, Kryvyi Rig, and Burshtyn, that are part of DTEK energy company owned by Rinat Akhmetov.

Additional 800 MW were bought from Slovakia, which helped to offset  power supply interruptions due to  emergency repairs at Burshtyn power plant.

The state agency said they are planning inspections at all the three struggling  power plants.

The ‘emergency issues’ made ‘Ukrenergo’ override the earlier govermental ban on energy supplies from Belarus after detention of activist Roman Protasevich in Minsk in May.