September 28, 2026
Ukraine enters the upcoming winter better prepared than last year despite Russia stockpiling missiles and jet drones, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on Sept. 27.
“Ukraine meets this winter better prepared than last year. Our resilience plans at the time of their adoption were extraordinarily ambitious, and that is precisely what enabled us to substantially strengthen the energy system even without 100% completion,” Koretskyi said.
“Despite existing lags, I believe regional military administrations, municipal heads, state-owned enterprises, and relevant ministries have accomplished an enormous volume of work.”
The prime minister noted that throughout the preceding year, Ukraine built out additional power generation capacity and equipped a greater number of critical civilian facilities with auxiliary backup power units.
“There is greater physical protection over critical infrastructure nodes. There are larger strategic reserves of equipment and spare parts, alongside more emergency repair crews and specialized machinery,” Koretskyi emphasized.
However, the prime minister cautioned that Moscow has simultaneously refined its aerial tactics and offensive assets.
“Unfortunately, the enemy has also upgraded its capabilities. This includes jet-powered Shahed drones and extensive stockpiles of ballistic and cruise missiles accumulated specifically for winter. It will certainly not be easy, but we have no alternative other than to endure,” Koretskyi added.
To further bolster domestic emergency readiness, Koretskyi stated that Ukraine has formally petitioned European partners to deploy municipal emergency services — including certified rescue specialists, technical gear, and heavy equipment — to support Ukrainian first responders.
Russian winter strike blueprints and energy risks
On Sept. 24, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal disclosed that Ukrainian intelligence intercepted two detailed operational documents outlining Russia’s coordinated plans for winter strikes. The documents contain cold calculations, spreadsheets, and asset allocations specifying targets across district heating, municipal water supplies, sewage treatment networks, power generation facilities, and electrical interconnectors — both links crossing the Dnipro River and cross-border interconnectors connecting Ukraine with continental Europe.
The captured Russian blueprints contain targeted strike packages tailored for cities with populations exceeding 500k, explicitly designating Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
Read also:
EU unrolls 3-step winter plan to aid Ukraine’s defense
On Sept. 22, at a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the war could be brought to a conclusion before winter.
On Sept. 23, Zelenskyy warned that Russia will face severe repercussions if it attacks Ukraine’s energy grid, following warnings from UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo that Ukraine confronts its most challenging winter since 2022.
https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukraine-enters-winter-stronger-than-last-year-pm-50645080.html
I certainly hope this is completely true. Still, I hope Ukraine has a mild winter. Concurrently, I hope that mafia land has a severe cold snap for many weeks while Ukraine demolishes its CHPs.