Russian energy boss says worn-out equipment to blame for blackout

Jun 20, 2005 -- BBC Monitoring

The leadership of UES [Unified Energy System of Russia; national generating and grid company] today announced the results of its own investigation into the recent energy crisis in Moscow and surrounding regions.

The holding's head, Anatoliy Chubays, thinks that the extreme degree to which equipment is worn out was to blame for everything. He said that the transformers at the Chagino substation [thought to have been the starting point of the Moscow power cut on 25 May] were manufactured at the end of the 1950s and exceeded their service life long ago. However, Chubays said that he was not removing the blame for what happened from himself.

Source: Channel One TV, Moscow, in Russian 1400 gmt 20 Jun 05

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