Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region are conducting systematic work to prevent theft of power equipment and its elements from electric grid facilities. Since the beginning of the year, security experts at the energy companies have identified more than 80 facts of theft, the total amount of damage has been over 9 million rubles. The largest number of such crimes was recorded in the branches of Nizhnovenergo (14), Voronezhenenergo (12), and Yarenergo (10).
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region immediately respond to the revealed facts of theft. Applications are sent to law enforcement agencies. Criminal cases are being instituted, courts are passing sentences. Disciplinary measures are being taken against officials who have committed theft. A systematic improvement of the protection measures for energy facilities based on the use of engineering and technical means of protection is underway.
“Security units are doing a lot of work to identify and combat theft of electrical equipment. We keep it under special control and are aimed at continuing the uncompromising fight against such crimes. In each case, we try to impose the most severe punishment, both on those who stole, and for those who contributed one way or another. Protecting the integrity of the electric grid infrastructure is the most important factor in ensuring reliable power supply to the regions of our activity,” stressed Igor Makovskiy, General Director of Rosseti Centre - the managing organization of Rosseti Centre and Volga Region.
A major theft of electrical equipment was detected in February at the Kalugaenergo branch. When viewing at the unguarded 110 kV “Buran” substation in the Maloyaroslavetsky district a transformer dismantled for repair, it was discovered that more than 10 tons of copper winding were stolen from it. The amount of damage exceeded 3 million rubles. On this fact, the security department of the Kalugaenergo branch conducted an internal audit. Officers guilty of improper storage of equipment were identified and held accountable.
Efforts are being made to prevent theft. In early April, in the Petropavlovsky district of the Voronezh region, due to the timely and coordinated actions of power engineers, an attempt was stopped to steal wires from an overhead line near the 35/10 kV “Red Fleet” substation. The dispatcher of the Petropavlovsky Distribution Zone of the Voronezhenergo branch received an emergency signal and immediately sent a first responding mobile crew to the scene of the incident, which did not allow the abductors to complete their intent.
In terms of crime detection, search and identification of perpetrators, Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region effectively cooperate with law enforcement agencies. In the Kirov region, at the end of March, employees of the security unit of the Kirovenergo branch, together with representatives of law enforcement agencies, identified and detained a suspect of stealing about half a kilometre of wire from an overhead line near the 35/10 kV “Syryany” substation in the Belokholunitsky district. And their colleagues from the Kurskenergo branch assisted officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Manturovsky district of the Kursk region in implementing a set of operational-search measures upon the theft by unknown persons of three wooden poles in the village of Bezlepkino in late April. As a result of the interaction of the power engineers with the police representatives, the stolen was found. Damage in the amount of about 30 thousand rubles was prevented.
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region remind that the legislation provides for severe punishment for the theft of electrical equipment, as well as the disruption of life support facilities. So, in accordance with Art. 215.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation it provides for a fine in the amount of 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles, or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one year to three years, or correctional labour for a term of one year to two years, or imprisonment from one year to three years. Such actions committed by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy, or by an official using his official position, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of three to five years with a fine in the amount of up to 80 thousand rubles or in the amount of the convicted person’s salary or other income for a period of up to six months.
It should be noted that illegal penetration of power facilities and theft of electrical equipment can cause power outages in settlements and socially significant facilities. In addition, such unlawful acts endanger the life and health of both the abductors themselves and third parties. The power engineers ask citizens who become aware of the theft or damage to power equipment at facilities of the electric grid complex to immediately report this to the round-the-clock Contact Centre of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region at 8-800-50-50-115, and also to law enforcement agencies.
