Strong international support enabled the Ukrainian energy sector to get through a difficult winter, says German Galushchenko

During the 2022/2023 heating season, which was accompanied by regular russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the Ministry of Energy held hundreds of international meetings to coordinate efforts with partner countries to support the energy sector.

This was emphasized by Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko during a press conference on the results of the 2022/2023 heating season.

"Today, there is a huge consolidation in the world regarding assistance to the Ukrainian energy sector. We really appreciate this support and thank our partners for their assistance in the form of equipment, machinery and contributions that allow us to purchase the necessary materials for the speedy restoration of power facilities," he said.

The Energy Minister noted the special support for Ukraine from EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

German Galushchenko also said that a High-Level Advisory Council, which includes energy ministers from EU member states and the U.S. Secretary of Energy, had been established under the Ministry of Energy.

"After the massive shelling, we gathered this council every time, where I informed my colleagues about the current situation and the consequences for the energy system. We coordinated where and how other countries could help us to restore the affected facilities as soon as possible," he said.

The Minister also reminded that the G7+ Coordination Group to assist Ukraine's energy sector, which had been established at the initiative of the U.S. partners, was working on a permanent basis.

German Galushchenko noted that an effective mechanism for attracting international assistance is Ukraine Energy Support Fund, established under the Energy Community Secretariat. The Fund finances the purchase of energy equipment and materials through donor contributions, which are directed to Ukrainian energy companies to repair and restore damaged infrastructure. In total, the Fund has already received over EUR 154 million. The partner countries have already announced and are expected to contribute another EUR 42 million to the Fund in the near future.

In addition, since March 2022, under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy, Ukraine has received 542 shipments of humanitarian aid from international partners with a total weight of about 6,700 tonnes. The equipment was distributed across all regions of the country to energy companies whose facilities had been damaged or destroyed.

The Minister also stressed the important role of the rescEU energy hub established in Poland, which accumulates humanitarian aid from all over Europe and quickly transfers it to Ukraine.

"This urgent and timely support from international partners helped us get through the difficult winter. We also have a logistics hub in Ukraine that delivers the necessary energy equipment to the regions quickly and safely," noted German Galushchenko.