Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Italy to Ukraine Carlo Formosa.

The parties discussed the restoration of Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged by russian attacks, as well as areas of cooperation to restore the energy sector and get through the next winter.

German Galushchenko briefed the Ambassador on the current state of the Ukrainian energy system and the consequences of the 26 August attack, which was one of the most massive since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion.

“The situation is quite difficult at the moment, but it could have been worse, given the 236 drones and missiles that attacked us that day. russia is changing tactics, this time using ballistic missiles to target substations that are critical to the functioning and transmission of electricity,” the Minister said.

The Energy Minister stressed that during yesterday’s visit to Kyiv by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, the Ministry of Energy reached an agreement with the Agency to extend its monitoring mission to key substations, which are essential for the stable operation of nuclear power plants.

The parties paid special attention to the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and consolidate international efforts in this area in the context of protecting energy facilities.

“Power engineers are working around the clock to repair and restore what was damaged by the russians, but we need to strengthen our air defence to prevent our months of work from being destroyed by the enemy in a matter of minutes. We are grateful to our international partners for the air defence systems already provided, but they are not enough. Increasing their number as much as possible is critical for Ukraine’s passage through the next winter,” the Minister stressed.

German Galushchenko thanked Italy for the humanitarian support provided to the Ukrainian energy sector, including 69 cargoes of energy equipment weighing about 850 tonnes, as well as financial assistance.

The parties also discussed the importance of implementing bilateral projects to restore the Ukrainian energy sector by developing distributed generation and backup power for critical infrastructure.

The Ambassador assured that the Italian side would continue to support Ukraine in countering russian aggression, in particular on the energy front, by promoting the development of renewable energy sources, attracting investment in the energy sector and strengthening the capacities and energy resilience of local communities.