Ukraine better prepared for Russian energy attacks than last year, PM says

The government has developed a resilience plan and is preparing additional response scenarios, he said.

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure remains under constant Russian attack, making complete protection impossible, Koretskyi said. At the same time, the country has significantly improved its preparedness compared with last year.

“The winter will be difficult — I have nothing new to add,” he said. “But we have no other plan than to get through this winter with dignity.”

Koretskyi said Russia may view the current period and the coming winter as an opportunity to rapidly increase pressure on Ukraine.

The government nevertheless expects to withstand that pressure through coordinated work inside the country and support from international partners, he said.

Ukraine drew lessons from last winter and is now working to develop decentralized systems capable of sustaining essential services across regions, cities and communities, Koretskyi said.

The government is also preparing several response options, ranging from baseline scenarios to the most difficult contingencies.

The scale of Russian strikes and destruction has increased severalfold over the past two months, adding further pressure on Ukraine’s economy, he said.

Koretskyi nevertheless said the government has sufficient resources and preparedness to address the challenges ahead.

He added that he gained direct experience managing the consequences of attacks on the energy system last winter while serving as head of Naftogaz Ukraine.

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council reviewed comprehensive regional resilience plans on Aug. 5, including a resilience plan for Kyiv that has already entered implementation.

Kyiv City authorities acknowledged in August that preparations for winter were only about 50% complete.