Prime Minister: Ukraine is 60% ready for heating season

"The state of preparation for the heating season now reaches 60%," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine on July 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

According to him, the government-created headquarters for preparations for winter has been working in Ukraine since May.

The Head of Government noted that four nuclear power units, nine power units of thermal power plants, and six hydropower units have already been repaired. The Ministry of Energy was given a clear task ahead of the start of the heating season: to return 1.7 GW of capacity to the energy system, he added.

"We are accumulating energy resources. There are 11.7 billion cubic meters of gas in storage facilities, accounting for 80% of the planned volumes. We have 1.5 million tonnes of coal in warehouses out of the planned 1.8 million tonnes," Shmyhal noted.

According to him, since the beginning of the year, 14,500 km of overhead lines have been repaired in Ukraine, more than 60% of damaged thermal power plants, combined heat-and-power plants, and boiler houses have been restored.

The Prime Minister noted that the procurement of utility equipment for 12 regions that need it was underway, amounting to UAH 50 million, and funds from international partners were being raised.

"Unity at all levels is a guarantee of our strength and stability, an opportunity to overcome all problems and challenges," Shmyhal underscored.