Ukraine's representative to the European Union, Taras Kachka, made the statement at a special event organized by the Kyiv Security Forum entitled "Support Ukraine, Defend Europe," held in Brussels on October 28, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"At the local level, we need EU support on this decentralized generation. This is the experience of Kharkiv and other cities and it is now expanding to small and big cities, including Kyiv as well. We need to have an energy system that when every particular house, multi-apartment house, could be autonomous in terms of energy supply if the grid is not working. That can help also small businesses to stay alive and the economy continue to be operating," Kachka said.
Read also: Ukraine will drive European security even without near-term NATO membership – ChentsovHe described the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, operating within the Energy Community, as one of the most effective assistance mechanisms. The fund pools financial contributions and purchases the equipment Ukraine needs.
"We had over EUR 2 billion aggregated in this fund, and it is one of the most efficient. But every winter, we learn new lessons what we need to buy. And this always happens, because Russia is damaging more and more elements of the grids beyond what we've been able to protect. And we also invent new ways of protecting with concrete, with hiding something under the earth. It all costs," Kachka said.
At the same time, he noted that new power generation technologies, particularly in renewable energy, help maintain the balance of the energy system. These include small wind and solar power plants, batteries and energy storage systems. Ukraine is also attracting investment in these areas.
"But the bigger picture is that you need to be able to protect your energy system. So that's why anti-ballistic, anti-missile and anti-drone systems are extremely important, since you have no alternatives," Kachka said.
He said that despite the difficult circumstances, Ukraine's energy sector remains attractive to public and private investors. As examples, the diplomat cited projects supplying equipment to Ukrainian companies with support from the Danish government, interest in energy projects under the Ukraine Investment Framework, and increased involvement by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Speaking about urgent needs, he stressed the importance of increasing fuel supplies for small generators used in residential areas and ensuring that equipment reaches Ukraine promptly.