On September 12 (local time), according to TASS, Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky warned that the upcoming winter will be the biggest challenge for the country, in the context that the energy system is still being repaired after previous damages.
“Without a doubt, winter is the biggest challenge. And we are all preparing for it,” Koretsky shared.
The above statement was made as Ukraine prepares to enter the cold season, after a previous winter recorded widespread power and heating outage in many areas.
In Kiev and some other cities, power outages once lasted for 12-16 hours, while the heating system was interrupted for many days. These disruptions directly affected people's lives in cold weather conditions.
Ukrainian officials admit that the upcoming winter may be even more difficult. The power grid operator Ukrenergo said that the repair of damaged power facilities is still ongoing, showing that the ability to fully restore the system before the cold season begins is still a challenge.
In that context, the government and people of Ukraine are preparing for the risk of further disruptions to electricity, heating and essential services in the winter.
MP Alexey Kucherenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Energy and Public Services Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, has advised people to proactively store water and firewood before winter comes.
The warning shows concerns about the ability to ensure essential needs in the cold season are being raised in parallel with efforts to restore the energy system.
Ukraine has repeatedly faced pressure on energy infrastructure during the conflict with Russia. Repairing damaged facilities has therefore become one of the urgent tasks before winter.
Meanwhile, Mr. Koretsky emphasized that the government and people are preparing for the cold season, which is forecast to create more pressure on Ukraine's electricity and heating systems.
