russia Expected That Pressure on Ukraine’s Energy Sector Would Break the Country from Within — Denys Shmyhal During the Hour of Questions to the Government
13 March 2026, 13:56
Ukraine has come through the most difficult winter in its history since the beginning of the heating season. This was stated from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal during the Hour of Questions to the Government.
According to him, more than nine gigawatts of generating capacity and dozens of distribution facilities have been damaged. In total, since the start of the invasion, russia has carried out nearly 6,000 strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Over 700 missiles and more than 20,000 drones have been directed primarily at energy facilities.
“But we endured, we stood strong, and the energy system remained intact. I thank the Ukrainian military for this, and I thank Ukrainian energy workers,” said Denys Shmyhal.
According to him, Ukraine currently faces six key challenges in the energy sector:
- ensuring the availability of fuel for the army, the sowing campaign and businesses amid the global fuel crisis;
- maintaining the stability of the energy system and
covering peak loads;
- restoring destroyed energy facilities and increasing generation capacity;
- ensuring the security of critical infrastructure, including both active and passive protection;
- accumulating resources for the next heating season, particularly natural gas;
- securing financing and ensuring effective cooperation with international partners for the recovery, modernisation and development of the energy sector.
According to Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, the state sets out clear priorities, action plans and arrangements for engaging partners for every challenge, which enables the power system to remain stable and meet the country’s needs even in wartime.
“russia expected that pressure on the energy sector would break our country from within. That logic did not work and will not work. We will endure and overcome all challenges. Once again, I thank the Ukrainian military and Ukrainian energy workers for their titanic, heroic efforts. Thank you for your attention. Glory to Ukraine!” — with these words, Denys Shmyhal concluded his address to Parliament.
During the Hour of Questions to the Government, members of the Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services discussed preparations for the next heating season and the financial aspects of the energy sector. It was noted that differences in heating tariffs require systemic regulation, particularly regarding support for heat providers and ensuring the stability of the gas market. Denys Shmyhal confirmed that the Government is already working on a comprehensive set of measures to stabilise the financial functioning of energy markets.
The issue of localising the production of energy equipment and connecting new generation facilities to the grid was also raised. Committee members highlighted the importance of ensuring support for the production of such equipment and speeding up the process of connecting new facilities to the grid, which enables an increase in electricity generation, improves the stability of the power system and strengthens Ukraine’s energy independence.
A video recording of Question Time to the Government can be viewed via the link.