Preparation for the heating season: Regions must reinforce backup power and emergency readiness

Under the chairmanship of Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine Mykola Kalashnyk, a regular meeting of the Headquarters for preparing housing and utilities and the fuel‑energy complex for the 2026/27 autumn‑winter period was held.

The meeting reviewed the state of readiness of housing stock, social facilities, heating and water supply systems, provision of backup power sources, and accumulation of energy resources.

“In times of war, readiness for the heating season means much more than scheduled repairs. Each region must be prepared for different scenarios: from prolonged power outages to damage to critical infrastructure. Our task now is not only to meet planned indicators but to create a real reserve of resilience. This includes backup power, alternative heat sources, emergency equipment reserves, trained personnel, and clear action algorithms in case of emergencies,” emphasized Mykola Kalashnyk.

As of August 1, 2026:

• 83,553 residential buildings were prepared — 58% of the plan.
• 14,962 social facilities ready — 62.7%.
• 10,590 boiler houses prepared — 61.7%.
• More than 10.4 thousand km of heating networks ready.
• 2,457 water pumping stations and 1,516 sewage pumping stations prepared.

A separate block of the meeting focused on backup power for heating and water supply facilities. The total updated need is 1,214.6 MW. As of August 12, 918.5 MW has been secured — 75.6% of the need. The uncovered need is 296.2 MW.

By the start of the heating season, regions must increase backup power capacity by 20% according to indicators defined in Comprehensive Resilience Plans.

Following the meeting, regions were instructed to conduct command‑staff exercises to practice emergency response at heating, electricity, gas, and water supply facilities. Regions must also check the readiness of backup heating systems, form emergency reserves of equipment and materials, update temporary heating supply plans, and provide information on staffing levels and shortages of critical specialists.

The meeting participants also heard reports on the readiness of regions and the city of Kyiv regarding energy resources for the heating season.

The next control benchmark for regional readiness is 80% by September 1 and 100% by October 1, 2026.