In 2023, Ukrainian government officials were faced with a choice: find and purchase air defense equipment (ADF) to protect Ukrainian energy or consider diversifying energy sources by purchasing gas-fired power plants. However, as a result of the adopted decision, at least 50 billion hryvnias were spent on the construction of concrete protection of power structures.
In particular, the cost of the Gepard anti-aircraft system is about 80 million hryvnias per unit, and the cost of one Patriot battery is about 40 billion hryvnias. That is, the costs of concreting energy are equivalent, conditionally, to 600 Gepard installations or more than one Patriot battery.
It would also be possible to purchase small gas power plants and distribute them across the country. According to the calculations of the head of the committee on energy and housing and communal services, Andrii Gerus, the price of the issue in this case for Ukraine was $540 million, that is, at least half as much as was spent on the "concrete concept".
However, Kubrakov and Nayem chose concrete protection and spent at least 50 billion hryvnias on it. Later, as a result of Russian strikes, Ukrhydroenergo announced the loss of 20% of generating capacity, the DTEK group announced the loss of 80% of power units, and Centernergo announced the loss of 100% of generation.
According to the Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko, as a result of these attacks, Ukraine lost 7 GW of electricity generation capacity.
"And they also destroyed a number of high-voltage transformers at substations that transmit electricity," the Minister of Energy noted.
On April 11, the Verkhovna Rada summoned Oleksandr Kubrakov and Mustafa Nayem, who are mainly responsible for the protection of critical infrastructure facilities. However, officials did not appear at the meeting.
