"We have learned all the lessons": Shmyhal says Ukraine is better prepared for winter than in previous years

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal stated in the Verkhovna Rada during the Hour of Questions to the Government that the country is significantly better prepared for winter this year than in previous ones. According to him, the authorities have taken into account "all those lessons taught to us by the enemy," protected the maximum generation capacities, and secured electricity transmission capacities as well. The minister emphasized that the key focus of the government's attention in terms of allocating funds for contract extensions, protection, and infrastructure renewal is entirely concentrated on ensuring Ukraine gets through the upcoming winter.

Assessment of Power System Readiness

Shmyhal noted that the enemy's strategy remains the same—to leave Ukrainians without electricity, water, and heating—however, the attack tactics are changing. In particular, he pointed to the use of new drones with cumulative charges, which, according to him, effectively damage support structures and power transmission lines. "They do this consistently and constantly. You see dozens of drone attacks on the power grid every day," the minister stated. At the same time, he claimed that large, hard-to-replace generation facilities are now protected, and repairs take little time, though their number is so large that cities experience outages, especially Kyiv, which, according to Shmyhal, is under constant attention and attacks "day and night."

Recovery and Classified Countermeasures

The minister assured that power engineers are promptly restoring damaged infrastructure and taking measures, while the enemy's changing tactics are being factored in. Shmyhal did not disclose details of the specific measures being developed to counter new types of attacks, explaining this by the classified nature of the information. He only emphasized that power engineers are developing countermeasures "very promptly." Furthermore, according to him, together with international partners, over 33,000 tons of various energy equipment have been processed and delivered to all regions.

Prime Minister's Position and Request to European Partners

Earlier, Head of Government Serhii Koretskyi also assessed winter preparations in a telethon interview as higher than last year, while acknowledging that defense plans were very ambitious and not fully implemented, but the system has been significantly strengthened: additional generation capacities have been built, and backup power for critical facilities has been secured. Koretskyi noted that the enemy is evolving—these are jet-powered "Shaheds" and the accumulation of ballistic missiles and rockets for winter—so Ukraine has appealed to European partners asking for emergency response services, rescuers with equipment, and personnel.

Context: Kyiv's Lag and Resumption of Strikes

Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is lagging behind other regions in implementing resilience plans for winter preparations and urged acceleration and decision-making. Against the backdrop of these statements, Russia has reportedly resumed strikes on Ukraine's energy sector: since the beginning of autumn, power outages have been recorded in Kyiv and several regions. Thus, the official assessment of winter readiness is combined with the recognition of remaining lags in certain regions and ongoing pressure on the power system.