US to help Ukraine repair power grid after Russian strikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will provide $125 million for parts and other supplies to help repair crews in Ukraine keep up with Russian strikes pounding the country’s electrical system. U.S. international development aid chief Samantha Power announced the funding in a statement Wednesday. The U.S. Agency for International Development plans to use some of the money to procure backup power for Ukraine’s water and district-heating systems. The funding also will help replenish supplies of gas turbines, transformers and other vital power equipment. The money comes from the supplemental Ukraine funding approved by Congress last month. Russia since October has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s electrical grid and other infrastructure.