President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs to attract significant financial resources to successfully navigate the winter period. According to him, this is about several billion dollars, which should ensure the stable operation of the energy system, repair critical infrastructure and form reserves in case of new Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the main costs are related to the restoration of generation facilities and networks that have suffered extensive damage as a result of attacks on energy infrastructure. Some stations require urgent repairs, and some require complete reconstruction. The state is also increasing gas and coal reserves to guarantee uninterrupted heat even in the event of peak loads.
The president noted that the government is working with international partners to create a financial support package that will include loans, grants and technical assistance. According to him, external support is critically important, since Russia may intensify attacks on energy facilities precisely in the winter period.
Analysts say this year’s cold weather preparation costs could be higher than last year due to extensive damage to energy infrastructure and the need to quickly restore backup capacity. At the same time, the government has assured that key facilities will be prepared and the power system stabilized.
