The coming winter in Ukraine promises to be more difficult than last year's due to the continuation of military operations and problems with the energy infrastructure. In this regard, the European Union made a significant contribution to the support of the energy sector of Ukraine. This was reported by the EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova in an interview with "Interfax".
"I think that people should prepare for difficult times, but I really hope that we will be able to avoid a catastrophic scenario," the diplomat said.
Maternova emphasized that the European Union has allocated 100 million euros to prepare Ukraine for winter. In addition, another EUR 100 million was provided through the Credit Facility for Reconstruction (KFW) to strengthen the energy sector operator Ukrenergo. This funding aims to improve and restore the energy infrastructure.
"One of the important areas of support is the mechanism of civil protection. In the first weeks and months of the full-scale war, he was the main channel through which all the equipment for various emergency situations arrived in Ukraine. And at the moment, it is focused on increasing the supply of energy carriers, including turbines, generators, etc.,” Maternova added.
Equipment comes not only from EU member states, but also from other donors, including Japan, Korea and Canada. The EU has already provided more than 1,000 high-voltage generators and small turbines to help Ukraine prepare for winter.
The support of the European Union is critically important in the conditions of the ongoing war, which significantly complicates the energy situation in Ukraine. The joint efforts of international donors should provide Ukraine with the opportunity to cope with winter difficulties and reduce risks for the civilian population.
