Special selector session to tackle emergency situation in the energy sector convened at the President’s order: Yulia Svyryrdenko

On the instructions of the President, a special conference call was held on the energy emergency with all relevant ministries and services. This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.

According to the Head of Government, restoration work is ongoing, but is being hampered by severe weather conditions and freezing temperatures. On the left bank of Kyiv, 24 high-power generators have been connected to residential areas. As of now, 17 transformer substations have been restored thanks to them.

The State Emergency Service is deploying new resilience centers throughout the country. Additional tents are being deployed in the capital, with more than 1,300 currently functioning in Kyiv. Starting today, 50 mobile kitchens with hot meals will begin operating in areas where the situation remains difficult.

In areas with an emergency situation in the power sector, curfew restrictions may be relaxed. This means that people can be on the streets and in public places near points of resilience and heating, as well as travel to them by private transport. The territory with relaxations is determined by the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies.

"Yesterday evening, I held a meeting with representatives of gas stations. The Government is monitoring the fuel situation. As of today, the country has sufficient reserves for the next 20 days, and they are constantly being replenished. The Ministry of Energy is coordinating efforts and collecting requests from businesses. We are ready to quickly resolve any issues," said Yulia Svyrydenko.

The Government has created all the conditions to urgently increase electricity imports. State-owned companies Ukrzaliznytsia, Naftogaz, and Ukrainian Defense Industry (Ukroboronprom) must promptly ensure that at least 50% of the electricity they consume is imported. This will help free up additional electrical capacity in the grid.

"We are creating all the necessary conditions for businesses that have distributed generation facilities. We have introduced a special price of UAH 19,000 per cubic meter of gas for cogeneration facilities in frontline areas and are developing additional financial incentives for entrepreneurs who will supply electricity to critical infrastructure. We have also simplified the procurement of equipment and construction of facilities—without additional permits—and initiated a simplification of the connection process on the part of the NEURC," the Prime Minister noted.

The 112 hotline continues to operate. Operators have already received more than 4,000 reports and messages about the lack of heat and electricity from all regions. They are already being processed by the relevant services.