For months, Russia’s deliberate and lengthy assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure led to power cuts and scheduled blackouts, leaving towns and cities in darkness during the winter. As a result, Ukraine was forced to stop electricity exports, which affected the country’s economy and strained its energy resources. However, after months of hard work and “titanic” efforts from Ukraine’s engineers and international partners, the country’s energy infrastructure has finally recovered, and Ukraine is now able to export electricity again.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko signed an executive order authorizing exports, citing the extra capacity that the system had been producing for almost two months. While local customers remain the priority, Ukraine will now be able to sell its excess power again, attracting additional financial resources for necessary reconstruction.
“The most difficult winter has passed,” Mr. Halushchenko said on Friday. “The next step is to start exporting electricity, which will allow us to attract additional financial resources for the necessary reconstruction of the destroyed and damaged energy infrastructure.”
This news marks a significant achievement for Ukraine’s engineers and international partners who worked tirelessly to restore the system after a lengthy and deliberate assault by Russia last October. Last month, residents across Ukraine told the BBC that power supplies were becoming more reliable, and the restoration of the energy infrastructure is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.
Despite the progress, Ukrenergo, the operator of Ukraine’s electricity network, has warned that Ukraine cannot count on Russian attacks stopping. According to the company, Russia has launched more than 1,200 missiles and drones at its energy facilities so far during the war, making it the largest attempt to destroy a European country’s energy system. Every one of Ukraine’s thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia began targeting energy infrastructure. Kyiv has also lost control of Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is in Russian hands.
Ukraine had said in June 2022 that it was hoping to bring in €1.5bn (£1.33bn) from electricity exports to the EU – its main export market for energy since the war began – by the end of the year. The ability to export electricity will be a crucial step for Ukraine towards achieving this goal.
Meanwhile, the recovery of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure marks a significant achievement for the country and its international partners. The ability to export electricity will provide much-needed financial resources for the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. However, with the ongoing threat of Russian attacks, the battle to keep Ukraine’s power running is far from over, and it remains to be seen how Ukraine will manage to maintain its energy independence and security in the face of ongoing threats from its neighbor.
