Ukraine has fuel reserves for more than 20 days, Energy Minister Denys Shmygal told parliament, describing the overall state of the country's energy system as “very difficult“ after a series of Russian missile and drone strikes on critical infrastructure, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Shmygal, who took office earlier this week, said that the situation remains the most difficult in Kiev, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Odessa regions, as well as in settlements near the front line. There, thousands of households have been without electricity and heating for days, in sub-zero temperatures.
“In some cities and regions, preparations for winter have failed. "In the two days since I took office, I see that many processes are clearly stalling," the minister said. According to him, there is not a single power plant in Ukraine that has not been attacked.
On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector in order to make up for lost time and control power outages after the prolonged Russian strikes.
Shmygal ordered urgent electricity imports, specifying that to cover its consumption, Ukraine must install between 2.2 and 2.7 gigawatts (GW) of new generating capacity by the end of 2026.