Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, during the government question hour in the Verkhovna Rada, stated that over the past six months, more than 300 gas stations have been destroyed or damaged as a result of shelling. According to him, such facilities are now de facto considered critical infrastructure, as they supply fuel to both the market and the population. Constant attacks on gas stations, according to the official’s assessment, force the government to maintain weekly coordinated dialogue with representatives of fuel networks to respond promptly to incidents.
Fuel infrastructure as a critical asset
Shmyhal emphasized that losses in the gas station segment are “significant for the country’s economy.” The minister also noted that the power sector has been “very significantly” affected. In this regard, fuel and energy infrastructure are viewed by the state as a single critical circuit, the resilience of which directly affects the supply of the population and business operations amid ongoing attacks on infrastructure facilities.
Seeking insurance and compensation mechanisms
According to the minister, the Ministry of Finance, together with the business community, is exploring options for introducing insurance for fuel infrastructure facilities and creating a corresponding fund. At the same time, a separate line in the state budget specifically for compensating losses in the energy sector is not planned. Instead, the developed resilience plans provide for financing critical infrastructure facilities regardless of their ownership form — assistance is provided not only to state-owned enterprises but also to private companies owning such facilities, including through funds from the Energy Support Fund.
Resource of approximately 5 billion euros and preparation for the heating season
Shmyhal reported that the massive resource of around 5 billion euros, mentioned at the beginning of the year, is now being directed simultaneously to protection, restoration, and support of the energy business. The government, according to him, began preparing the energy system for the new heating season as early as summer and presented a plan for the protection and restoration of the energy sector, since the upcoming winter may prove no less difficult than the previous one. At present, as the minister noted, scheduled electricity outages are not introduced in the country, and the energy system is operating in a stable mode, although the situation may change depending on the intensity of attacks on energy infrastructure.
Contradictory data
In the provided sources for fact-checking, there is a discrepancy in the political context. The main text and materials from RBK-Ukraine and Rambler News directly attribute the statement about 300+ gas stations to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, acting within the framework of the government. However, other sources indicate a change of cabinet: the appointment of Yulia Sviridenko as Prime Minister and the dismissal of the government. The exact date of Shmyhal’s speech in the Rada is not recorded in the primary text, so it is impossible to definitively establish whether the statement refers to the period before or after personnel changes in the government. The fact of the declared losses in fuel infrastructure is, however, confirmed by several independent publications.
