Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Olga Yukhymchuk took part in a series of events held within the framework of the EU Energy Council meeting in Luxembourg.
“Systematic, brutal, and unprecedented drone and missile attacks on our energy infrastructure have continued since 2022, and we face this terror on a daily basis. Russian shelling not only affects our economy and our ability to survive this winter, but also takes the lives of Ukrainian civilians, including energy workers,” the Deputy Minister emphasized during the session “Energy Security and Sustainability of Ukraine and Moldova and the Strategic Importance of Their Integration into the EU Energy Market.”
Olga Yukhymchuk noted that since March 2025, more than 3,900 attacks by the Russian Federation have been recorded against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In recent months, the enemy has intensified these strikes and continues to systematically destroy energy facilities in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as other areas across the country.
During the session, participants discussed measures to strengthen Ukraine's energy resilience and security. The key priorities include bolstering air defense and physical protection of energy infrastructure, restoring and repairing damaged facilities, increasing energy reserves, particularly natural gas, and building up stocks of essential equipment, as well as developing distributed generation.
Olga Yukhymchuk called on international partners to expand their support through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which has proven to be an effective and transparent mechanism for procuring equipment necessary for restoration efforts following enemy attacks.
On the margins of the EU Energy Council meeting, the Deputy Minister held a series of high-level bilateral meetings.
In her meeting with Dorin Jungan, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, the parties discussed the situation in the Ukrainian energy sector across various regions, as well as the risks stemming from power outages at the Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl nuclear power plants caused by Russian shelling. They also addressed bilateral cooperation in the gas sector, diversification of gas supply routes, and the use of Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities to enhance regional energy security.
At the meeting, Lars Aagard, Minister for Climate and Energy of the Kingdom of Denmark, reaffirmed the EU’s intention to completely phase out Russian energy sources by the end of 2027. He emphasized that Denmark, alongside the European Union as a whole, will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and assist the Ukrainian people during these challenging times. The parties also discussed cooperation within the Ukrainian-Danish Energy Partnership Programme, particularly in the context of Ukraine’s European integration.
During discussions with representatives of the German Directorate-General for Electricity, the parties focused on cooperation within the framework of the Ukraine Energy Support Fund for the implementation of priority projects. They also explored opportunities to attract partner investment for the restoration and modernization of Ukraine’s energy sector in the medium term. The German side reaffirmed its readiness to continue supporting the Ukrainian energy sector amid ongoing Russian attacks.
Ukraine’s European integration remained the key topic of the meeting with Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy. Deputy Minister Olga Yukhymchuk provided an update on preparations for the second reading in the Verkhovna Rada of draft law No. 12087-d, which aims to integrate Ukraine’s electricity spot market with the EU, ensure accession to European balancing platforms, support joint risk planning, and protect vulnerable consumers. The parties also discussed coordination within the G7+ group and emphasized the need to intensify pressure on Russia in response to its attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure.
In a conversation with the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, the parties discussed the needs of the Ukrainian energy sector for equipment required to restore facilities damaged by Russian attacks.
On the sidelines of the EU Energy Council meeting, Olga Yukhymchuk also held meetings with Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch, as well as European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen.
The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to all partners for their continued support of Ukraine in the face of sustained hostile attacks, emphasizing the particular importance of assistance to the energy sector during the heating season. Olga Yukhymchuk informed her counterparts about the urgent needs of the sector and outlined key areas where international support can further contribute to maintaining Ukraine’s energy resilience.
