Ukraine needs more than $1B to restore power system – VR committee head

Russia fired more than 1,200 missiles and drones at key energy infrastructure facilities across Ukraine. The total damage inflicted on the Ukrainian power system exceeds $1 billion.

Head of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Energy and Housing and Utilities Services, Andriy Gerus, stated this, Ukrinform reports with reference to the parliament's website.

"Reserves of resilience have significantly decreased, and they must be restored by next winter. We need to work now on making the next heating season easier and more predictable than the last winter... The main discussions revolve around this: where to get money to repair damaged energy infrastructure facilities, install additional protection and create backup stocks,” he said.

According to him, Ukraine receives significant international aid, but this resource is not enough to restore the energy system to a level that will guarantee uninterrupted supply of electricity to Ukrainians. One of the possible options is to increase the tariff.

As of the end of the autumn-winter period, due to destruction and occupation of territories by Russian forces, the Ukrainian power system temporarily lost 44% of nuclear generation, 78% of TPPs, 66% of CHPPs, 12% of HPPs, 75% of wind generation, and more than 20% of solar generation capacity.

According to the World Bank estimates, the damage caused to the Ukrainian infrastructure of power, gas, and heating systems, as well as coal mining stands at about $11 billion.