Ukraine is deliberately preparing its energy system for the new heating season under conditions in which energy infrastructure remains one of the main targets of Russian attacks. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal during the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, RBC-Ukraine reports. In his words, the coming winter will not be easy: Russia is continuing a war of attrition, and the resilience of the power grid determines not only electricity supply but also heating, water supply, logistics, the economy, and ultimately the survival of the country.
The Winter Will Be Hard: The Minister's Acknowledgment
Shmyhal openly called the current period a "historic stage" with no prior examples: the power system, in his formulation, is being transformed in the middle of a large-scale war and under daily ballistic strikes. The minister emphasized that the country is in fact creating a new architecture for the power grid's operation, rather than merely patching up the aftermath of attacks. In his assessment, such an approach is necessary as long as the energy sector remains a priority target of Russian strikes and the war of attrition continues.
New Architecture: Shelters and Engineering-Technical Protection
Ukrainian energy workers and engineers, according to Shmyhal, have developed new shelters for facilities of various levels and capacities. In parallel, engineering-technical protection has been created that is designed to keep energy facilities operational even after ballistic missile strikes. The combination of physical protection and engineering solutions, the minister stated, allows recovery times to be shortened: where repairs to individual facilities could previously take months, some of them can now be returned to service in roughly a week.
Nearly 6,000 Tons of Equipment and the Role of International Partners
The implementation of these solutions, Shmyhal said, is made possible by the constant support of international partners. He reported that this year nearly 6,000 tons of energy equipment — generators, transformers, cogeneration units, and modular block boiler houses — was dispatched from distribution hubs to Ukraine's regions and communities. The minister thanked partners for their assistance, which, in his words, "is converted into quite concrete things" and directly affects the system's resilience ahead of winter.
Tariffs: Different Terms for Households and Business
Separately, Shmyhal reminded that electricity tariffs for household consumers will remain unchanged until next year. At the same time, prices for business are set under market conditions, since Ukraine is part of the European electricity market and the ENTSO-E system. Thus, the state maintains social protection for the population while moving the commercial segment onto market mechanisms within the framework of integration with the European power system.
