Sergii Koretskyi: Russia has attacked Ukraine's energy sector 2,147 times since the new Government took office

Thanks to our military, Russia has no results on the front line. So it is directing all its aggression and hatred into terror against civilian infrastructure: electricity, heating, and now water. The goal is obvious: to exhaust people. That is why we must take this winter seriously. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Sergii Koretskyi in an interview with BBC Ukraine.

The Prime Minister stressed that since July 16, when the renewed Government had began its work, not a single day had passed without attacks on the energy sector. There have been 2,147 so far, many times more than last year. Even before winter begins, the enemy is trying to destroy key life-support facilities. The work completed under resilience plans is helping the system hold up.

"The Government's strategy remains unchanged. We are protecting everything that can be protected and expanding distributed generation. Together with our partners, we are accumulating sufficient reserves of spare transformers and equipment so that damaged assets can be replaced quickly. We are also reinforcing backup power for critical facilities, including water supply pumping stations," the Head of Government said. "I would also like to thank energy workers, utility crews, and the State Emergency Service. They deal with the aftermath of every strike with the greatest speed, often under repeated attack. I urge citizens to take advantage of the state assistance programs and, where possible, install backup power systems at home."

According to Sergii Koretskyi, Russian strikes have caused Ukrainian businesses $7.7 billion in direct losses this year. More than 1 million square meters of warehouses, production facilities, and logistics space have been either destroyed or damaged. Even so, the economy keeps running.

"I thank every entrepreneur who keeps going despite the destruction, rebuilding and rerouting their logistics," the Prime Minister said. "Our task is to give businesses the tools to withstand this. The Government is handing over state-owned premises so companies can relocate and spread out their warehouses and production sites. This year's State Budget sets aside UAH 18 billion to cover interest rates under the 'Affordable Loans at 5-7-9%' program."

Sergii Koretskyi also announced another important decision, this one concerning the sea. Vessels calling at Ukrainian ports currently cannot obtain international insurance because the risks are too high, so the state has agreed to cover part of the losses. The agricultural sector, and hundreds of thousands of people employed in it, depend on this route.

"We are in constant contact with business and are looking for solutions together," the Prime Minister said.

This week, changes to the military deferment system will be finalized to make it fairer. They target abuses that, unfortunately, do exist. "We are not hiding this problem and are talking about it openly," the Head of Government said, assuring that "the changes will not affect enterprises that are truly critical to the state. They will keep operating as before."

The Government is reviewing only those cases where critical status is used as a formality to secure deferments for people who have nothing to do with truly critical work.

In the interview, Sergii Koretskyi also said the state's own revenues cover only a third of what Ukraine needs for defense, social payments, and healthcare. The other two-thirds come from partner support, which has to be defended every day. Every euro the partners provide comes out of their own taxpayers' pockets, while Russia spends billions on propaganda to convince their citizens that Ukraine should not be helped.

"That is why every law needed to secure this funding is not a matter of politics but a matter of the country's survival. The Verkhovna Rada has passed some very difficult but critically important bills. I thank every MP who voted for them," the Head of Government said.

Sergii Koretskyi added that this is only part of the job. Much remains to be done, and it is vital to adopt all the necessary decisions on time so that Ukraine can receive international financial assistance in full.

"The Government has done its share. As promised, all decisions and documents that fall within the Cabinet of Ministers' remit were adopted by October 15. I thank our partners for standing by us for almost five years of full-scale war," the Prime Minister concluded.