Ukraine Prepares for Another Winter of War
Ukraine is bracing itself for another winter of war, with Russia continuing to attack the country‘s energy system. Despite over 1,000 attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in nearly 1,000 days of full-scale war, the Ukrainian power engineers have maintained stability and preparedness.
The energy workers in Ukraine have achieved a historic feat by repeatedly repairing equipment after Russian strikes. They have even managed to bring back online damaged equipment three or four times after consecutive attacks. This remarkable effort has ensured light and heat for Ukrainian homes and created a model of resilience that will be studied internationally.
However, the threat of massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure remains constant. The only effective defense is bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses. Russia’s primary goal in targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is to create social unrest and destabilize the nation by cutting off electricity and heating.
Since 2022, the nature of these attacks has evolved. In recent years, Russia has employed more advanced weapons and targeted critical substations that support nuclear power plants. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has increased monitoring at these facilities in response.
This year alone, Ukraine’s power generation capacity from thermal, combined heat and power, and hydro plants has been disabled by 9 GW of power. In August, a large-scale attack left significant damage to substations critical to nuclear power plants.
Ukraine has received international support, including spare parts from decommissioned European power plants and electricity import capacity from EU governments and the G7. The country’s energy system is stable and prepared for the heating season under normal conditions.
The foundation of Ukraine’s preparedness lies in the restoration of power generation and transmission equipment before the heating season. This effort included the largest repair campaign in independent Ukraine’s history. Notably, Ukraine’s nuclear power plants are set to operate at full capacity this winter, despite Russian occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear plant.