Ukraine’s biggest private power producer, DTEK, is fortifying its electrical system in the belief that Russia will try to ensure the country once again is plunged into darkness over the winter.
An extensive rebuilding program since then, valued at about €500-million , has raised the capacity to about 80 per cent. The program included ramped-up domestic coal production and coal imports from Poland, plus extra natural gas production, to ensure there are enough fuel reserves in case of supply disruptions.
He did not say how Ukraine would respond, but the military recently has received long-range missiles, including American ATACMS, whose cluster-munitions warheads can hit targets 165 kilometres away. Ukraine also expects to receive a small fleet of U.S.-built F-16 fighter-bombers sometime next year. Mr. Sakharuk thinks the inevitable Russian winter attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could be massive and come in quick waves