Distinguished colleagues! Fellow Ukrainians!

We start a regular meeting of the Government.

Defense in the fight against the aggressor has been and will remain our number one priority. We are focusing maximum efforts and resources for this purpose.

At the same time, another priority is the security of our citizens on the home front and the security of our country in various dimensions.

Civilians in the home front need security.

The Ukrainian economy needs security to recover and attract investment.

Our infrastructure needs security. Ukrainians need security to receive all the critical services they require. Defense companies need security for their operations.

Energy is a key security element.

We had done a huge amount of restoration activities before the winter. This helps to maintain energy stability during massive enemy attacks and bad weather.

The recent shelling did not cause any significant damage to the Ukrainian energy system. The situation is under control, there is a safety margin, and no scheduled outages are expected.

However, due to the low temperatures, electricity consumption is growing rapidly. As of this morning, it is 6% higher than yesterday. Additional loads increase the risk of accidents.

Therefore, we need solidarity savings from all Ukrainians. During the cold weather, power companies urge citizens to reduce consumption by turning off powerful electrical appliances, and businesses to de-energize signs, banners, and shop windows.

This will save up to 200-400 MW, which is equal to several heat generation units. And this is critical for our power system.

We have a round-the-clock headquarters to deal with the consequences of the bad weather. All services are working 24/7. Repair crews are working as quickly as possible to restore power to the settlements where the wind, frost and ice have caused power outages. We thank them for their hard work.

In the energy sector, Ukraine constantly feels the reliable support of its partners.

Thanks to USAID's assistance, the first cogeneration unit was installed in Khmelnytsky region to power critical social infrastructure and housing. I will remind you that in December, the Government simplified the procedure for placing such facilities.

We will soon receive five more gas turbines from Japan. They will add up to 200 MW of electricity to our power system.

Thus, we are moving towards decentralized generation, which is less vulnerable to attacks by russian terrorists.

We believe in the reliability of the Ukrainian energy sector, but at the same time we are preparing for all possible scenarios.

That is why almost 12,600 points of invincibility are already in operation. And if necessary, another 700 will be deployed. Just like last winter, Ukrainians are guaranteed to have heat, electricity, communication and Internet access there.

Shelter is yet another security element.

We have 60,500 shelters in the fund of civil defense structures. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a clear task - not only to increase the number, but also to ensure quality. Each shelter should be inclusive, safe, comfortable and located within walking distance.

The school shelters are under special control. Currently, 88% of schools have shelters covering 93% of pupils and teachers.

The goal is to bring this figure to almost 100%. And also to modernize the storage facilities that need to be modernized. For this purpose, UAH 2.5 billion has been envisaged in the state budget.

We will monitor their effective use by local authorities.

Moreover, we are forming an Educational Security Service in schools. The presence of trained police officers will protect children from various threats.

We are selecting 500 officers who will be on duty in the spring. This is one of the elements of the comprehensive Education Institution Security Concept.

Among other things, it provides for the organization of safe transportation of students, fire and industrial safety, an early warning and evacuation system, a clear algorithm of actions in case of emergency.

The next element of security is humanitarian demining.

Last year, after surveying and clearing, we returned more than 200,000 hectares of agricultural land to use.

The purpose is enduring - to bring 80% of potentially mined areas back into use in less than 10 years.

We will involve innovative developments in demining, create joint production of demining equipment with partners, train specialists, and develop the market of mine action operators to achieve the goal.

The state budget for this year, in particular, provides UAH 3 billion for compensation to farmers and other landowners who will use the services of demining operators.

The security of logistics, trade and investment is crucial for the economy.

Thus, the Ukrainian maritime trade corridor has been operating since 2023 thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 5 months, 15 million tonnes of export cargo, mainly food, have passed through this corridor. The Danube port cluster is also operating successfully.

Thanks to this, in December, compared to November, we increased maritime exports by 30%.

The key to success is also the insurance of ships against war risks. We have launched this project jointly with leading British insurers.

Simultaneously, an investment insurance mechanism is being implemented together with MIGA and DFC. In addition, 14 export credit agencies from different countries provide guarantees to their businesses for investment in Ukraine.

All this makes doing business in Ukraine more secure.

Another important task is to protect Ukrainians from all forms of crime.

We are creating a unified video surveillance platform. Out of more than 50,000 available cameras, more than 8,000 have already been integrated, and this work is ongoing.

We are changing security standards in civilian life. This is a war-time need that will remain after the war is over.

Therefore, creating a safe environment for our citizens will be one of the Government's priorities for this year and the following years.

Thank you for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!