Ukraine stands ready to share its experience in countering Russian threats to energy security with partner countries, particularly in Northern Europe.
This was highlighted by Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Roman Andarak during his online address at the meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers on energy policy.
“Russia continues to escalate. We see drones flying near critical infrastructure in your countries, and this is part of the escalation. If Ukraine’s experience in countering such threats is needed, we are ready to share it. But it is important not only to exchange experience, but also to combine our efforts and confront these challenges together,” Mr. Andarak said.
The Deputy Minister also briefed partners on the current situation in Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector. He stressed that, on the eve of the heating season, Russia has intensified its shelling of energy infrastructure. Since the end of March, Ukrainian energy facilities have come under attack thousands of times, with around 3,600 strikes targeting electricity infrastructure alone.
In addition, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest in Europe and currently under Russian occupation, has been operating on diesel generators for eight consecutive days. This constitutes a serious violation of the plant’s operating standards as well as general nuclear and radiation safety regulations. It marks the tenth blackout at the facility since the beginning of the Russian occupation.
Roman Andarak called on partners to step up international pressure on Russia and compel the aggressor to allow Ukrainian specialists to repair the damaged power lines that previously ensured a stable electricity supply to the plant from Ukraine’s power grid but were destroyed by Russian shelling.
The Deputy Minister also outlined the steps being taken by Ukrainian authorities to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, restore damaged energy facilities, advance decentralization, and expand distributed generation.
