Oleksii Kuleba visits Kharkiv region on working trip

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba, together with his deputy Kostiantyn Kovalchuk, the head of the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, and regional and city leaders, inspected the physical protection of critical infrastructure facilities.

Kharkiv region is an area that comes under russian attack every day. More than 5,000 shellings have been recorded since the beginning of the year. The enemy is targeting power-generation facilities in the city of Kharkiv and communities across the region with hundreds of combined strikes – from drones to Tornado-S rockets.

“Despite the constant attacks, more than two million people live in Kharkiv region. Our task, therefore, is to ensure that critical infrastructure continues to function in frontline areas so that residents have heat, water, and electricity. Together with the regional and city leadership, we are focusing on getting through the heating season. A key area of work is the physical protection of critical infrastructure. Since October this year, the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development has been coordinating protection construction at more than 100 critical infrastructure sites across Ukraine. Kharkiv region is among the priorities. We reviewed progress on regional energy facilities. Without going into details – construction is ongoing, and we are accelerating the pace so that the physical protection is ready on time,” Oleksii Kuleba stressed.

At the same time, the Ministry is working in parallel to reduce communities’ dependence on large energy hubs that are prime targets for russian attacks by rolling out decentralised cogeneration projects. These units produce both heat and electricity, support critical facilities, and provide backup in the event of blackouts.

To speed up the introduction of such solutions and extend them to other frontline regions, the Government has simplified the procedures for installing distributed generation facilities. Previously, equipment with a capacity of up to 1 MW did not qualify for the simplified procedure. The new decision will now enable nearly 300 existing modular boiler houses and cogeneration units to be connected quickly, providing autonomy to dozens of municipal enterprises and social institutions as early as this heating season.

A systematic approach also requires the stable operation of cogeneration plants, which in frontline areas mostly run on gas and support the power system during peak-load hours. A stable gas price makes it possible to plan operations and guarantee energy supply where it is most needed. The Government has set a special gas price for cogeneration in frontline regions – up to UAH 19,000 per thousand cubic metres. The tariff will remain in place for one year.

“These measures create a comprehensive approach to the energy resilience of Kharkiv region and other frontline areas. The Ministry’s priority remains unchanged – supporting communities that live under constant threat, especially during the winter period. I am grateful to the heads of cities, villages, and the region for our joint work and the effective solutions we have developed,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised.