Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Roman Andarak held a meeting with Swedish Ambassador Martin Oberg to discuss cooperation aimed at ensuring the stability of Ukraine’s energy sector, particularly in preparation for the upcoming heating season.
Ambassador Oberg announced that the Swedish Government has decided to provide additional support to Ukraine ahead of winter in the amount of SEK 1.1 billion (approximately EUR 100 million). Of this sum, SEK 450 million will be directed to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, while SEK 385 million will be channeled through the Trust Fund for Ukraine’s Recovery to repair energy and housing infrastructure.
Deputy Minister Andarak expressed gratitude to Sweden for the new aid package and for its ongoing support to Ukraine’s energy sector. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has received 216 shipments of energy equipment from Sweden, including generators, transformers, substations, electrical equipment, vehicles, and other essential materials. Sweden’s contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which already total €94.6 million, also play a vital role in strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience.
The Deputy Minister informed the Ambassador about the current situation in Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector, stressing that as the heating season approaches, Russia has significantly intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure.
He underlined that, in preparation for the winter period, Ukrainian energy companies are actively carrying out repair works and, together with the military and local authorities, are strengthening the protection of energy facilities. A key area of focus is the creation of equipment reserves to enable rapid restoration following enemy attacks. Attention was also drawn to efforts aimed at expanding distributed generation capacity and continuing government loan programmes for households, multi-story buildings, and businesses.
The parties also discussed the supply of energy resources to Ukraine for the winter, particularly natural gas. In this regard, the need for coordinated international efforts to diversify supply routes and support procurement was emphasized.
Special attention was devoted to the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Roman Andarak highlighted the severe risks to nuclear safety arising from Russian shelling, as the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been cut off from the electricity grid for seven consecutive days and is currently operating on diesel generators. At the same time, Russia is preventing Ukrainian energy specialists from repairing the damaged power line. Both sides agreed on the need to consolidate international efforts to increase pressure on the aggressor and to ensure nuclear safety.
