Ukraine needs €650 million to keep lights on this winter. Without it, next repairs stop

Ukraine’s fund for repairing its war-battered power grid is €650 million short of what it needs for winter. On the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, the European Commission, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry, and the Energy Community Secretariat urged current and would-be donors to channel funds into the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, so critical equipment can be bought and infrastructure repaired before the cold sets in.

Since 2022, G7+ countries have put €1.95 billion through the fund to keep Ukraine’s grid standing under Russian fire, money spent on priorities set by Kyiv’s Energy Ministry to build a strategic equipment reserve, speed up procurement, and shorten delivery times for critical parts. 

Fund runs low before heating season

First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said that partners have contributed more than €300 million this year, but the fund still faces over €650 million in unmet needs.

Without new contributions, the next round of projects will be stopped, he warned.

The parties stressed that preparing for winter demands coordinated and urgent action, and that the G7+ energy coordination group is still working to mobilize what Ukraine needs to get through the season.

Russia targets the grid each winter

Russia has hammered Ukraine’s energy system every winter since 2022. Its 2025-26 campaign ran more than 257 strikes on power infrastructure by February and damaged or destroyed all 15 of Ukraine’s thermal power plants, yet failed to split the grid or break public will.

The grid survived on imports and emergency repairs, with little buffer left. Direct damage to the energy sector now nears $25 billion, with full reconstruction estimated at about $91 billion.

Gdańsk conference opens this week

The conference widens its appeal to a large audience. URC 2026 runs 25-26 June in Gdańsk and draws roughly 5,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, financial institutions, and business, with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko leading Ukraine’s delegation, per UkrInform.