Russia blames Ukraine of 'sabotage' over Crimean power shortages

(Vatican Radio)  Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has accused Ukraine of "sabotage" as damage to key electricity pylons left some two million people on the Crimean peninsula without power for more than a week. The loss of electricity to Crimea has sparked a reduction of coal supplies to Ukraine from Russia and from the pro-Russian rebel-held eastern Ukraine. Despite the tensions, a prisoner exchange was reported Tuesday between pro-Russian rebels and Kiev.  

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

Medvedev told Russian media that Ukraine was in his words "seeking objectives that are practically terrorist". He expressed outrage that Crimea's two million people have been without power since electricity pylons in the adjacent Ukrainian Kherson region were damaged on November 22. 

Ironically giant billboards displaying the picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin are somehow still illuminated at night. Russian forces annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. The Kremlin blames Kiev-backed anti-Russian activists for the power shortages. 

And in Medvedev's words, Ukraine's actions have "endangered the lives and health of many people".

Tartar activists 

Ukraine says Tatar activists will need to allow repairs before power supplies can be resumed. 

However speaking through an interpreter an activist says this can only happen if Russia meets at least some of their demands.  "As soon as at least one political prisoner is released than we give permission to repair one pylon  and to run electricity as well," the masked man said. 

In response, coal supplies to Ukraine have been reduced from Russia and from the pro-Russian rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's government says it has one month of its own coal supplies left and is seeking alternative supplies from South Africa. 

Despite the standoff some progress was made on other fronts. 

Prisoner release

On Tuesday Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had pardoned a Russian citizen detained in eastern Ukraine and exchanged him for a Ukrainian serviceman held by Russia-backed separatists.

Poroshenko announced the exchange on his official website, which showed a photograph of him meeting with the freed Ukrainian, Andriy Hrechanov.

Poroshenko said he pardoned Vladimir Starkov, who was detained in July in eastern Ukraine and later sentenced to 14 years in prison. 

Ukrainian security services had released a video in which Starkov acknowledged being a Russian military officer.

Russia has denied sending troops and weapons to eastern Ukraine, where separatists have been fighting government troops since April 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 8,000 people.