Razumkov: Responsibility for preparing for winter and protecting the energy sector lies with the central government

2 February 14:30

Issues related to preparing for the heating season, protecting energy infrastructure, and dealing with the consequences of attacks on thermal power plants are the responsibility of the central government and cannot be left solely to local authorities. At the same time, getting through the winter effectively is only possible with coordinated efforts at all levels of government.

This position was expressed in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian" by the head of the inter-factional deputy association “Smart Politics,” former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Dmytro Razumkov.

Commenting on discussions about the responsibility of mayors for the lack of heat, light, and water in certain cities, Razumkov stressed that the issues of protecting critical infrastructure and general preparation for the heating season are systemic in nature and go beyond the powers of local authorities.

According to him, even before the full-scale invasion, Kyiv had a shortage of energy capacity, but over the years of war, this problem has not been comprehensively resolved.

“Please tell me, is it the local authorities’ responsibility to protect critical infrastructure?
Preparing for winter. Even before the war, Kyiv had an energy deficit. During this period of war, no additional cogeneration stations were built. What is a cogeneration plant? It is a gas-fired plant that produces both heat and energy… It can be placed underground and protected quite well. But no one has done this,” Razumkov noted.

The politician stressed that the key responsibility for the stability and preservation of the state’s energy system lies with the relevant central government bodies.

“The key bodies responsible for ensuring the energy system and preserving the energy system are the Ministry of Energy and the Cabinet of Ministers,” he stressed.

Razumkov also drew attention to the complexity and fragmentation of energy security management, which, in his words, complicates the adoption and implementation of effective decisions.

At the same time, the former speaker stressed that he does not absolve local authorities of responsibility, acknowledging the existence of problems at this level, but considers it incorrect to shift the blame unilaterally.

“I am not defending the city authorities. There are reasons to criticize them, objectively,” he said.

Razumkov also reminded that a military administration is operating in the capital, which is part of the overall city management system under martial law.

In his opinion, the confrontation between different levels of government negatively affects the state’s ability to respond effectively to the challenges of wartime.

“Today, this war between central and local authorities is only making the situation worse,” the politician concluded.

As "Komersant Ukrainian", Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly criticized Kyiv’s preparations for the difficult situation in the energy sector, stating that “very little” had been done in the capital to prevent the consequences of large-scale power and heat outages.

The mayor of the capital, Vitali Klitschko, then publicly responded to the president’s statement, stressing that the criticism “negates the dedicated work of thousands of specialists” who are working to eliminate the consequences of Russian attacks.