“Vitalii Zaichenko is the new head of Ukrenergo: why this is not a reason to celebrate
24 June 2025 19:36
The appointment of Vitaliy Zaichenko as the head of Ukrenergo is an alarming signal for the Ukrainian energy sector. This opinion was expressed by Yuriy Korolchuk, co-founder of the Energy Strategies Foundation, on his Telegram channel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The appointment of Vitaliy Zaichenko as the new Chairman of the Board of NPC Ukrenergo does not cause euphoria among those who follow the Ukrainian energy sector. On the contrary, this appointment is a symptom of the crisis in the industry, although at first glance it may look like a victory for common sense.
Why would the chief dispatcher of Ukrenergo agree to this in the first place? Over the past three years, he has probably played a bigger role than all the other “directors” and “members of the supervisory board” at Ukrenergo. And he didn’t seem to have anything to do with corruption, like Kudrytskyi,” Korolchuk said.
“Zaichenko is not really a new figure in the structure of Ukrenergo. It was he who was responsible for keeping the lights on in your homes during the most massive rocket attacks, when the infrastructure was crumbling under fire. And it was he who coordinated the technical processes during the historic disconnection of the IPS from the power grid of Russia and Belarus, and later synchronization with ENTSO-E.
However, the energy expert claims: “Zaychenko agreed only because there was simply no one else to put in charge. After the dismissal of Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who had long been rumored to have links to political groups of influence and abuse, Ukrenergo was left without a clear management strategy and, worse, without anyone willing to take responsibility in the most difficult period since 2014.
Zaychenko does not need this. But there is simply no one else to appoint. Things are so bad that our international partners, on the one hand, and the “team in power”, on the other, could not convince anyone to take this position. So, the conclusion is that in order to appoint someone more or less normal in this country, the place of appointment must first be almost destroyed,” explained the co-founder of the Energy Strategy Foundation.
“The risks are obvious: winter is ahead, Russia has not stopped shelling, resources are limited, critical infrastructure needs to be restored, and wind, solar, and backup generation projects are up in the air. In such conditions, you need not just a technical manager, but a crisis leader.
The power system is not broken, but how it will exist and operate in the coming seasons, especially in winter, is an open question. We can forget about warm winters. Well, we’ll be lucky again. And then?” Korolchuk asks a rhetorical question.
The key question is how Zaichenko will react to two sensitive areas: solar generation and decentralized gas generation. The former is a tool of influence for some Western partners and Ukrainian “green barons.”
The structure of the energy system in the coming years will depend on which of these two models Zaichenko supports. It will also determine the cost of electricity and stability during peak loads.
Read also: A new leader of the energy front: “Chief Dispatcher of Ukrenergo Vitalii Zaichenko takes over as CEO
On Monday, June 23, the Supervisory Board of Ukrenergo elected Vitaliy Zaichenko, who was previously the company’s chief dispatcher, as the company’s chairman. All seven members of the Supervisory Board voted for him. Oleksiy Brekht, the acting chairman of the board of NPC, remained only a member of the board.
Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko personally introduced the new chairman of the board.
“I am convinced that the company will have an effective reboot, development and effective cooperation with international partners!” said the head of the relevant ministry.
What we know about the new CEO of Ukrenergo, Vitalii Zaichenko
Vitalii Zaichenko started working at Ukrenergo back in the 1990s and has worked his way up from an engineer to a manager, has systemic knowledge and significant experience in the energy sector.
He has an engineering degree in power plants from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
He has participated in research projects, including the creation of the Burshtyn TPP Island and synchronization of the grid with ENTSO-E. Under his leadership, the IPS of Ukraine was transferred to an isolated mode of operation at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion and then successfully synchronized with the European ENTSO-E network.
During massive missile attacks on the energy infrastructure, he and his team ensured stable dispatch control of the IPS.
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