Today, during the hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada, Minister of Energy German Galushchenko denied rumors about a possible blackout in Ukraine in winter. He noted that there are many manipulations and false forecasts about long-term power outages, and emphasized that these estimates do not correspond to reality.
"A lot of manipulations are happening today, a lot of experts have appeared who every day throw in information about 20 hours without light, about 18 hours. In fact, they don't know anything. Therefore, all these estimates are conditional and have nothing to do with reality," Galushchenko emphasized.
According to the minister, if there are no critical strikes on the power system, Ukraine will be able to go through the winter in normal mode.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also confirmed that the current situation with the energy industry allows us to hope for no blackouts. He noted that autumn and winter can be passed without serious interruptions, but the enemy will not stop attacking. Shmygal warned that there is information about possible massive strikes on the power system, which could complicate the situation.
As for readiness for the heating season, Shmyhal said that 82% of housing and communal facilities are ready, with regional variations: in Zaporizhzhia region, this indicator is 79%, and in Kherson region - only 54%.
What energy experts say
The director of energy programs of the Razumkov Center, Volodymyr Omelchenko, expressed confidence that Ukraine has a high chance of avoiding a blackout. He believes that the probability of preserving the integrity of the power system exceeds 90%. Omelchenko also noted that partial coverage of the deficit in the energy system is possible due to the import of electricity from Europe, and that it is important to focus on restoring those generating capacities that can still be restored.
Yury Korolchuk, an expert at the Institute of Energy Strategies, warned about several possible scenarios, one of which includes the possibility of the power system falling.
"Ukrenergo" reported that at a temperature of -10 degrees it will be difficult to ensure the balance of the energy system without blackouts, but the apocalyptic scenario is not inevitable.
