By Rostyslav Averchuk
Lviv, Ukraine (EFE).- Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure risk leaving millions without heating this winter, leading authorities to import more gas and urge citizens to prepare for shortages.
Gas heats most Ukrainian homes, particularly in large cities, via boilers or centralized systems.
Before the latest attacks, Ukraine was on track to have sufficient gas from both domestic production and imports, said Volodymyr Omelchenko, an energy expert at the Razumkov Centre, in comments to EFE.
However, the situation worsened after Russia targeted gas storage and extraction facilities on Oct. 3 in what state-owned producer Naftogaz described as “the biggest attack of the war.”
Three more assaults followed in the past week alone.
Although the extent of the damage remains undisclosed, it was serious enough to prompt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the issue publicly, Omelchenko noted.
“The Russians are attacking our gas storage and other gas infrastructure, so we have started talking about importing more gas,” Zelenskyy said on Monday after meeting EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine could buy gas from Norway or the Middle East but would need to secure the necessary funds.
According to Omelchenko, Ukraine requires approximately 2 billion euros to purchase 4 billion cubic meters of gas. The country requires a total of 14.5 billion cubic meters of gas for the heating season, meaning it must secure an additional four billion cubic meters through imports.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is preparing a 500 million euros loan, its vice president Matteo Patrone told the Kyiv Post on Tuesday.
Preparing for the worst
Gas consumption in Ukraine depends heavily on the weather, with January and February being the coldest months.
To conserve supplies, authorities have delayed the start of centralized heating, even though temperatures are expected to drop below zero this weekend.
“It’s really cold, but we won’t be able to provide heating for the next few weeks. We need to wait a little longer so that it stays warm through the winter,” said Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Lviv, in an address to residents.
Dozens of heating points equipped with firewood stoves and electric generators are being set up in schools, cultural centers, and building basements to assist vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and the sick.
However, Sadovyi urged residents to take precautions on their own, insulate homes, and help neighbors in need.
Experts warn that relying on electric heaters would only strain the power grid, which continues to be targeted by daily Russian missile and drone strikes.
In rural areas and older buildings with individual stoves, people have been stockpiling firewood. Demand for bottled gas, portable cookers, and camping stoves has also surged, according to major retailers.
“We live day by day and hope it won’t come to the worst,” said 36-year-old translator Olga Kryvytska from Lviv. She plans to host friends in her apartment, which has its own heating system, if their homes lose access to heat.
Ukraine remains resilient
Analysts say that as Russia struggles to make progress on the battlefield, it is now trying to “freeze” Ukrainians into submission.
However, authorities plan to protect civilians and critical facilities, such as hospitals, from the effects of possible gas shortages, even if industry takes the first hit, said Oleksiy Kucherenko, deputy head of parliament’s energy committee, speaking to Telegraf media.
Despite growing fatigue from the war, Omelchenko said Moscow’s strategy is likely to fail: “Russia’s demands leave Ukraine with no choice but to keep defending itself.” EFE
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