Ukraine faces an extremely difficult winter.
Ukraine and Russia have entered a phase of fierce confrontation, striving to destroy each other's energy systems. As stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal to POLITICO, the results of this energy war will determine the future format of peace negotiations.
"It's like the 12th round, where each boxer hopes their opponent will fall first," the minister compared the situation.
Kyiv hopes that the campaign to target Russian oil refineries, along with Western sanctions, will force the Kremlin to end the war this autumn.
If this does not happen, Ukraine faces an extremely difficult winter. According to Shmyhal, Moscow's tactics are changing:
"Russia's goal now is to destroy our water supply. Last winter they targeted electricity and heating, but during power outages, one could survive if there was gas and water. It's very difficult to survive more than three days without water and sewage."
Due to systematic attacks, electricity generation in Ukraine has critically decreased, forcing hourly blackouts across the country.
"The Russians have destroyed or damaged more than 80 percent of Ukraine's electricity generation," Denys Shmyhal emphasized.
The Ukrainian minister concluded: "Putin will bleed, but he will drag us into winter. This is a pessimistic scenario, but my optimism is that we will survive this winter."
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