Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised concerns over the slow pace of critical infrastructure preparations ahead of the upcoming heating season. Following a comprehensive report regarding regional and municipal resilience plans, the Head of State highlighted significant delays in several key regions. He shared these updates on his official Telegram channel.
According to the President, work is currently underway on 368 infrastructure facilities across the country, with the primary focus on upgrading physical defense systems. However, the progress is far from uniform. Zelenskyy openly criticized specific regions for falling behind the schedules established to ensure readiness before the winter cold sets in.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing a lag in some regions compared to the schedule defined for specific results prior to the start of the new heating season. There are questions regarding the pace of work in the Lviv, Volyn, and Odesa regions, as well as in Kyiv,” Zelenskyy stated.
To address these bottlenecks and enforce stricter oversight, the President announced the resumption of regular selector meetings. These coordination briefings will involve government ministers, heads of regional military administrations, community leaders, law enforcement agencies, and the military command directly responsible for the defense of energy assets. Zelenskyy emphasized that the overarching national goal is to fully execute the approved resilience plans within the designated timeframes. He sent a clear message to local authorities, warning that the responsibility for protecting citizens will be strictly personal in every region.
The primary objective remains ensuring the stable operation of Ukraine’s energy system without the need for rolling blackouts, despite the ongoing threat of Russian targeted attacks. “I am grateful to everyone who is ensuring protection and increasing power generation,” the President noted. He also expressed optimism about upcoming international support, mentioning that Ukraine expects to finalize new agreements with Western partners for the supply of vital energy equipment by the end of this week.
In parallel to physical defenses, the Ukrainian government is actively investing in energy decentralization. Previously, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated 12.85 billion UAH (approximately $330 million) to fund initial winter preparation works under the regional resilience framework. Furthermore, officials aim to significantly boost local power generation capabilities. By the start of the next heating season, Ukraine expects to commission 1.5 GW of new cogeneration units across the country. Of this total, state-owned enterprises are tasked with installing approximately 400 MW of capacity, a strategic move designed to make the national grid more resilient against potential disruptions.