Energy company boss Vitrenko on the power supply in Ukraine

Berlin The head of the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, Yuri Vitrenko, warns of the dramatic state of the country’s energy infrastructure. “Around 40 percent of the power generation plants have been destroyed,” he says in an interview with the Handelsblatt. The Russian attacks also hit the refineries particularly hard.

Recently, Russia had repeatedly launched attacks on the energy infrastructure in Ukraine, which led to power outages in large parts of the country. In the gas sector, Naftogaz has managed to maintain almost the pre-war level, says Vitrenko. But production keeps coming under fire. Numerous employees have already died – not only because they fought at the front, but also at their workplaces.

According to the former energy minister, the coming months will be “the worst winter in our history” for Ukraine. He expects constant power cuts and repeated problems with heating.