Ukraine needs $1 billion to restore its energy system after Russian attacks
Russian attacks since October 2025 have knocked out 8.5 GW of Ukraine's generating capacity, including thermal and hydroelectric power plants. This was announced by Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev during a speech at the Ukrainian House in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on 20 January, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
According to the minister, some of the damaged facilities have been restored, but they have again become targets of attacks. This cyclical destruction significantly complicates the stable operation of the power system. Sobolev stressed that strengthening the protection of generating capacities would be cheaper than restoring them, but Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of air defence resources.
To cover the electricity deficit, the state is currently importing record amounts of electricity from Europe. This amounts to 1.9 GW, which is the highest figure since the start of the full-scale war. At the same time, this winter is one of the coldest in many years, and shelling is causing power, water and heating outages in thousands of homes in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv.
The head of the Ministry of Economy noted that the government is trying to direct as much energy as possible to the needs of the population, but without a stable supply, businesses cannot operate either. According to him, Ukraine's urgent needs are estimated at $1 billion. The funds are needed to restore power generation, mobile substations, backup power sources and other critical equipment.
Sobolev also said that generators with a total capacity of over 1 GW are already operating in Ukraine, supporting the work of enterprises. However, during periods of severe frost, this resource is insufficient, so the country needs additional installations and equipment.
Davos, World Economic Forum, Sobolev
