Minister of Energy of Ukraine Svitlana Grynchuk spoke live on the national telethon “United News” about the current state of the energy system, preparations for the winter, and international partners’ support.
The Minister noted that the situation in the energy system remains under control. At the same time, to prevent overloads, scheduled hourly power outages continue to be applied in some regions.
The most challenging situation is in Chernihiv region, where energy facilities are constantly subjected to enemy attacks. Emergency repair operations are complicated by air raid alerts; however, as soon as the security situation allows, energy workers resume restoration work. Similar challenges are reported in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. Given the difficult conditions in which Ukrainian energy workers continue their duties under targeted enemy fire, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy today recognized them for their dedication and conscientious service.
The Minister emphasized that immediately after the completion of the previous heating season, preparations for the next one began. At present, key repair works on critical facilities have been completed, and additional equipment reserves are being formed to enable rapid response to the consequences of attacks.
“The Government, together with local authorities, has been preparing for the heating season. The maintenance campaign at nuclear power plants is fully completed — all nine units are now operating at full capacity. Sufficient reserves of coal, fuel oil, and natural gas have been accumulated. At the same time, the restoration campaign continues, as the enemy constantly changes its tactics, and our response must remain swift,” the Minister said.
Speaking about natural gas storage, Grynchuk noted that the planned targets have been achieved — through both domestic production and imports. However, given Russia’s targeted strikes on gas infrastructure, it is important to build additional reserves.
“We have experienced six large-scale attacks on gas infrastructure only in October. To ensure stability during the winter, we are accumulating additional resources through imports. Together with Naftogaz, we are actively cooperating with international partners to attract financing for these purposes,” said Grynchuk.
In particular, she noted that Norway has already announced the provision of USD 150 million to support Ukraine’s gas purchases. The Government of Ukraine has allocated UAH 8.4 billion for the import of necessary volumes and continues negotiations with international partners.
