Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal summarized Ukraine’s experience during the most challenging winter in the country’s history, noting the difficulties of the heating season and critical challenges for the energy sector. According to him, since autumn, Russia has damaged over 9 gigawatts of generating capacity and dozens of distribution facilities, leading to widespread power outages in many regions.
This is reported by Finway
Restoration of Energy and Fuel Imports
Shmyhal reported that Ukraine needs to ensure stable fuel supplies for the army and the agricultural sector, especially amid the global fuel crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. In March, approximately 250,000 tons of gasoline, diesel, and liquefied gas were imported into the country, and nearly 100,000 tons of gasoline and diesel are stored in reserve.
The situation with power outages remains complex: in several regions, outages are absent, while in others, schedules for 1–1.5 shifts continue. At peak consumption, the electricity deficit is approximately 1 GW, but power plants of various types continue to operate. The minister emphasized that despite improvements, the heating season is not yet over, and enemy attacks on energy infrastructure continue.
“We have partially restored 3.5 GW of generating capacity at thermal power plants, combined heat and power plants, and hydroelectric power stations. We plan to restore approximately 4 GW. In particular, by the end of May, there is a possibility of restoring more than 2 GW. Our engineering delegations are working in the EU to obtain equipment from decommissioned stations.”
Scale of Losses and Prospects for Recovery
According to the UN, as of January 2026, Ukraine has lost more than half of its pre-war energy capacity. The total generation is only 11 GW, while 18 GW is needed for winter, which has caused prolonged power outages across the country. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, 1.5 GW of distributed generation has been put into operation in Ukraine.
To enhance the protection of energy facilities, an experimental project is being implemented to involve critical infrastructure enterprises in the air defense system. The construction of shelters continues, and second-level protection works are being carried out at 84 substations and 134 key energy facilities.
The government is working to attract about 5 billion euros in energy assistance from partners. The upcoming negotiations in Brussels will discuss increasing the capacity for importing electricity from Europe. The goal for the next two years is to achieve imports of 3.5 GW and more.
Volodymyr Zelensky, in his address, emphasized that Ukraine managed to survive the most difficult winter of the war years, thanking the military, energy workers, and services for their resilience. The president called for preparations for further attacks, as “the Russians are not going to stop their strikes.”
Since February 2022, Russia has systematically shelled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and since autumn 2025, the intensity of attacks has significantly increased. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, at least 256 air attacks by Russia on energy facilities and heating supply systems have been documented since the beginning of the current heating season. These actions are classified as crimes against humanity.
Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko has submitted documents regarding Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure from July 2025 to February 2026 to the International Criminal Court.
In early February 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Russia had not shelled civilian objects and that Ukraine was the first to strike Russian energy facilities.