Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told Bloomberg in an interview that the country is preparing for what is likely the toughest winter since it gained independence in 1991. In his words, Russian aerial terror is intensifying, systematically destroying energy and infrastructure facilities. The head of the cabinet named a single word as the government's key task for the coming months — "endure." According to RBC-Ukraine's assessment, this very thesis will serve as a litmus test both for Koretsky himself and for his team.
Resilience Plan and Protection of the Energy Grid
According to the prime minister, Ukraine is in a better state of readiness for the upcoming heating season than in previous years. This is underpinned by a comprehensive resilience plan and the protection of assets and energy infrastructure. Earlier, in July 2026, Bloomberg reported that strengthening Ukraine's energy grid would become the central task of Koretsky's new government. At the end of August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced resilience plans for Ukraine's regions — packages of measures designed to ensure the country gets through the heating season amid ongoing Russian aggression.
Call for Foreign Specialists
A special place in the winter preparation strategy is occupied by the recruitment of foreign emergency-response specialists. Koretsky addressed his partners directly: "Each of our partners could send specialized equipment, machinery, and personnel here to help restore and restart damaged facilities as quickly as possible or to respond to these attacks." According to the outlet's assessment, it is precisely in the priority areas — energy, heat supply, and critical infrastructure — that the help of foreign experts can speed up the restoration of facilities destroyed by Russia and reduce risks to the population in the middle of the heating season.
Winter as the Government's Main Challenge
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that Koretsky named getting through the 2026–2027 winter the main challenge for his government. The business outlet Delo.ua noted that the prime minister outlined an expanded work plan for the cabinet, comprising three blocks: winter preparation, defense, and infrastructure protection. UNIAN, in turn, emphasizes that "this winter will be even harder," and lists the priorities the government considers critical for the survival of the economy and the population. The totality of these statements indicates that the 2026–2027 winter period will be a key test of resilience for both state governance and the country's energy system itself.
Contradictory Data
No significant discrepancies in figures or dates were found between sources. That said, it is worth noting that the original Bloomberg interview, in which Koretsky framed the task of strengthening the energy grid, was published on July 19, 2026 (Vedomosti), whereas more detailed statements on recruiting foreign specialists and on assessing the winter as the "worst since 1991" appeared in RBC-Ukraine and Delo.ua materials closer to September 2026. The chronological difference is likely explained by the fact that the prime minister gave several interviews or supplemented what he had said earlier during subsequent appearances. The formulations themselves do not contradict one another but rather complement the overall picture of the preparations.
