Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at the Government session

Distinguished colleagues, fellow Ukrainians!

We start a regular session of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Defence capability is number one priority. Every week we adopt decisions that reinforce our state.

However, we also understand that effective defence is a synergy of front and rear efforts. Our military defend Ukraine on the frontline, but to support them, we need a functioning economy and infrastructure.

One of the key issues in this regard is fair and rational reservation of persons liable for military service. Employees of enterprises that are really critical.

Let there be no speculation or manipulation here.

Therefore, I am instructing the relevant ministries to introduce an updated and fairer regulation on reservations in the near future and to determine an exhaustive list of critical infrastructure facilities and enterprises.

We need clear and understandable criteria so that neither the military nor the public have any questions about why certain people are under reservation in our country.

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Another critical challenge of today is energy security.

The enemy has carried out a series of intense attacks on energy facilities. First of all, we are talking about thermal generation.

Our goal is to minimise the risks to the energy sector by next winter. We are working to ensure that Ukrainians have light and heat in their homes, and that businesses operate smoothly.

Here we have three main vectors of activity.

The first is repairs and attracting assistance from partners. We have high hopes for Ukraine Energy Support Fund, and our international partners have contributed more than EUR 405 million into it.

We prioritise the financing of energy equipment for those regions facing the most complicated situation. In particular, for Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region.

The second direction is the decentralisation of our power generation. Instead of large power plants that are vulnerable to attacks, we need dozens of small, dispersed facilities. We deploy a network of cogeneration units that will support the critical infrastructure of communities. We are going to increase the intensity of work in this area.

The third issue of focus, according to the Head of Government, is the strengthening of Ukraine's air defence. Now it is a priority for the entire Government’s team.

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Restoring the energy sector is part of the rapid reconstruction of Ukraine, which is underway now.

We fundamentally insist that the aggressor must pay for the losses caused.

We have made an important step towards this - the International Register of Damage for Ukraine has been launched in The Hague as part of the international Compensation Mechanism. In the first day of its operation alone, more than 500 applications were received from victims of russian aggression.

We are working on the establishment of the Compensation Commission and the Compensation Fund, which should be filled with confiscated russian assets.

We welcome the initiatives of our European partners to transfer to Ukraine the income generated by these frozen assets. In 2024, these revenues could amount to a total of EUR 5-8 billion.

But this is only the first step towards restoring justice. "russia will pay" principle must be fully implemented.

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In parallel, we are improving internal mechanisms for compensation for property damaged and destroyed by russia.

Today, the Government brings the procedure for managing the Register in line with the current regulations.

We add new register data on housing certificates and remote inspection reports, as well as extend the functionality of the Register.

We are working to ensure that everyone who has suffered losses from the russian invaders exercises their right to compensation.

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Another priority for our recovery is the healthcare sector.

The enemy devastates the medical infrastructure. Almost 1,800 medical facilities have been either destroyed or damaged: hospitals, outpatient clinics, polyclinics and maternity hospitals.

Together with our partners, we have rebuilt 512 facilities and partially restored another 358. The work is ongoing.

In particular, today the Government has decided to allocate UAH 24 million for the overhaul of the polyclinic of the Chernihiv Central District Hospital.

We also adopt a resolution that recognises the medical vehicles provided by our partners as humanitarian aid, which will be imported on a declarative basis. This will allow us to expand our vehicle fleet to meet all our needs.

We are grateful to the states, organisations and institutions that help Ukraine preserve the quality and accessibility of medical services.

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One more long-term consequence of the war is mining. Currently, about 156,000 square kilometres, or 26% of Ukraine's territory, are potentially dangerous due to russian mine terror.

We are striving to create an effective demining market, attract maximum innovation, and establish mass production of equipment so that the process of clearing russian minefields takes years, not decades, to complete.

We are proud of successful Ukrainian technical solutions. Two certified domestic vehicles are already involved in demining, and the third is being tested.

An international coalition for humanitarian demining has also been created, which has attracted more than USD 700 million to the sector.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 80,000 hectares of land have been surveyed, of which 74,000 hectares have been returned to operation.

We have certified 34 mine action operators, and dozens more are in the process of doing so.

In total, about 750 pyrotechnic teams are engaged in demining. We are doing everything possible to keep their number growing.

We are strengthening our defence, rebuilding the country, taking care of people's welfare and bringing our common victory closer together.

Thank you for your attention!

Glory to Ukraine!