---
title: "“There Will Be No Famine, but the Lights May Go Out”: Zelenskyy’s Advisor Names the Main Threat of Winter 2026/27"
description: "Ukrainian President’s advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov stated that there will be no famine or fuel shortage in winter, but strikes on the energy sector will lead to power and heating outages. He urged people to buy generators and power banks in advance."
date: 2026-09-04T09:10:03.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-advisor-winter-energy-generators-no-famine
tags: [ukraine, energy-crisis, winter-preparedness, generators, infrastructure-strikes, beskrestnov]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “There Will Be No Famine, but the Lights May Go Out”: Zelenskyy’s Advisor Names the Main Threat of Winter 2026/27

![A portable generator on a city street during a power outage, illustrating the threat of winter blackouts in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/sovetnik-zelenskogo-zima-energetika-generatory/sovetnik-zelenskogo-zima-energetika-generatory-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Beskrestnov: there will be no famine or fuel shortage in winter, but strikes on the energy sector “will definitely happen”
- The president’s advisor urged people to buy generators and power banks before prices rise
- Hnatiuk: gas storage facilities are filled, no systemic gas disruptions are expected
- Vysotskyi: there is no food shortage, but business losses from strikes on warehouses amount to tens of billions of hryvnia

Serhii Beskrestnov, the President of Ukraine’s advisor on technological aspects of defense, gave a detailed forecast for the upcoming heating season in an interview with the DOU publication, as published by RBC-Ukraine. According to him, the panic mood that periodically grips Ukrainians after reports of strikes on infrastructure facilities is largely unfounded: no shortage of food or liquid fuel is expected during the winter period. “Winter will be tough, but not in terms of food or fuel. That will all be fine, there will be no famine,” Beskrestnov emphasized. He explained that the rush to buy “everything in sight” is largely fueled by the information backdrop surrounding strikes on logistics and storage facilities.

### The Main Threat Is Energy, Not Food

The real challenge, in the president’s advisor’s assessment, will be strikes on the energy infrastructure. Beskrestnov stated outright that attacks on power plants, substations, and heating networks “will definitely happen” over the course of the winter. This means that Ukrainians should prepare not for empty shelves, but for planned and emergency power and heating outages. It is precisely this scenario, he said, that poses the real risk to household comfort and the operations of small businesses during the cold season.

### What to Buy and Why Right Now

Beskrestnov’s practical recommendation comes down to one thing: do not postpone buying autonomous power sources until the rush demand drives prices up. “So I advise you, while there is still time and prices have not gone up, to buy generators, power banks, EcoFlow-type devices,” he said. In the frame accompanying the publication, a portable gasoline generator by Könner & Söhnen stands on a city street at dusk, connected to the grid — a vivid illustration of the type of equipment the advisor urges citizens to prepare for in advance.

### Context: Gas, Food, and Damage Estimates

Alongside the warning about energy come other official assessments. People’s Deputy Serhiy Hnatiuk stated that underground gas storage facilities already hold enough resource to get through the winter, and no systemic disruptions to gas supply are expected, although the risks of new attacks on infrastructure remain. Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi, for his part, advised Ukrainians to keep a minimal one-week food stockpile in case of force majeure, noting that no shortage of socially significant goods is currently being recorded on the market. At the same time, according to his data, business losses from strikes on food warehouses are estimated at tens of billions of hryvnia.

### Contradictory Data

Taken together, the official statements contain a certain internal tension. On the one hand, Beskrestnov and Hnatiuk assert that there will be no famine and no systemic fuel shortage, and that the gas storage facilities are filled. On the other hand, the same Beskrestnov leaves no doubt that strikes on the energy sector “will definitely happen,” while Vysotskyi acknowledges the enormous losses in the food sector from attacks on warehouses. Thus, the official position simultaneously sends the signal “do not panic” and the warning “prepare for outages.” The difference in emphasis — food versus energy — is not formally a contradiction, but for the ordinary citizen who sees both types of messages in the news, it creates a sense of inconsistency. No separate confirmation of specific dates or volumes of stored gas is provided in open sources as of the time of publication.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Winter Will Be Tough, but Not Because of Food: Zelenskyy’s Advisor Names the Main Threat](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zima-bude-vazhkoyu-ale-cherez-yizhu-radnik-1788512855.html) - Основной источник: цитаты Бескрестнова, контекст Нагорняка и Высоцкого
- [Zelenskyy’s Advisor Warns of a Tough Winter in Ukraine](https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2026/09/04/29250103.shtml) - Подтверждение факта интервью и ключевых тезисов
- [You Don’t Need to Stock Up on Food: Beskrestnov on What Will Help Get Through Winter](https://www.objectiv.tv/objectively/2026/09/04/zapasatsya-nuzhno-ne-produktami-beskrestnov-o-tom-chto-pomozhet-perezhit-zimu/) - Детализация рекомендаций по генераторам и павербанкам
- [Winter Will Be Tough, but There Will Be No Famine – Beskrestnov](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/09/04/novost/obshhestvo/zima-budet-tyazheloj-no-goloda-ne-budet-beskrestnov) - Подтверждение цитаты о голоде и горючем

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Will there be a food shortage in Ukraine in winter?
**A:** According to the president’s advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov, no famine or systemic food shortage is expected. Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi also confirmed that no shortage of socially significant goods is currently being recorded on the market.

### Q: What exactly does Beskrestnov recommend buying?
**A:** He recommends purchasing generators, power banks, and EcoFlow-type devices before prices rise due to rush demand. This is linked to the expected strikes on the energy infrastructure and possible power and heating outages.

### Q: Are the gas storage facilities filled for winter?
**A:** People’s Deputy Serhiy Hnatiuk stated that underground storage facilities hold enough gas to get through the winter, and no systemic disruptions to gas supply are expected, although the risks of new attacks on infrastructure remain.