Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger visited Kyiv with a delegation to assess the situation and send a signal of support to Ukraine. She noted the brutality of Russian attacks and heating problems in Kyiv.
The Cabinet of Ministers will form a coordination center for the rapid recovery of communities after shelling. Government officials, the Office of the President, and regional leaders will be involved in the work.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih. Ukraine expects increased support for Ukrainians from the Office of the UN High Commissioner.
On February 20, scheduled power outages and capacity restrictions will be in effect in most regions of Ukraine. These are the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
France will allocate 71 million euros in grant aid to Ukraine, part of which will go to support the energy sector. The agreement was reached during a meeting with the French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industry, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, Roland Lescure.
European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen stated that Brussels is not pressuring Ukraine regarding the timeline for restoring the Druzhba oil pipeline. Oil from Russia is supplied to Hungary and Slovakia via this pipeline.
That is why Ukraine needs to quickly build up battery complexes in the near future to accumulate daytime generation and use it during evening peaks, reducing restrictions and increasing the stability of the energy system.
Hungary is considering halting electricity and gas exports to Ukraine if Kyiv does not resume the supply of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of delaying the resumption of supplies for political reasons.
Energy experts warn: it is technically impossible to decentralize the generation of large urban combined heat and power plants in one inter-heating season, and for Kyiv, such a transformation could require about 7 billion euros in investments and 3-5 years of work.
In the Chernihiv region, an accident on a 110 kV overhead line led to a power outage in Chernihiv, Slavutych, and part of the Chernihiv district. Energy workers are working to restore electricity supply.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is preparing solutions for the reconstruction and renewal of communities' energy supply. A coordination center will be established at the government level to systematize communities' experience.
A single platform of government support programs for the population, HOAs, businesses, and communities during the winter period has started operating in Ukraine. The platform energy.kmu.gov.ua provides complete information about current support opportunities, conditions, and application procedures.
Key problems in the regions are vulnerable distribution networks due to lack of protection and strikes on boiler houses, which can leave people without heat.
Due to hostilities and shelling of energy infrastructure, consumers in 5 regions have been cut off from electricity. In Odesa region, the electricity situation remains difficult after previous enemy attacks.
Energy infrastructure facilities have been damaged in Russia's Belgorod, leading to power and heat supply disruptions. Power outages have partially affected Belgorod, Shebekino, and the Shebekino district.
The Cabinet of Ministers instructed to prepare the necessary resources to overcome the consequences of spring floods. The Ministry of Economy and other agencies will provide proposals for supporting people and businesses.
On February 19, hourly shutdown schedules and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be in effect in Ukraine. The reason is the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
Additional autonomous power generation equipment and diesel buses have been sent to Odesa. Individual houses are already being powered by generators, and repair crews are working around the clock.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on operational work in communities, particularly in Kyiv, in the conditions of an emergency energy situation. Priority steps have been identified to ensure backup power and the development of distributed generation.
MFA spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi commented on Budapest's provocations regarding the shutdown of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline.
Expert Serhiy Kuyun states that the cessation of diesel fuel supplies from Hungary and Slovakia is not critical for Ukraine. These supplies account for up to 10% of the market and can be easily replaced.
The PURL program remains a reliable mechanism for purchasing American air defense missiles. Contributions of $584 million have already been announced for 2026, but the need reaches $15 billion.
Serhiy Kovalenko, CEO of YASNO, explained why electricity bills increase during power outages. This is influenced by the starting current of appliances, individual consumption habits, and untimely submission of meter readings.
Business investments in solar generation will partially mitigate risks but will not solve problems for large consumers.
Odesa and the region are without electricity, heat, and water after a devastating shelling of the energy system. Energy workers are working around the clock to gradually restore power supply; 60.5 thousand families already have electricity.
The SBU detained a Russian agent who was preparing new missile strikes on thermal power plants in the capital region. The perpetrator was collecting information on the technical condition of the thermal power plants after the previous shelling.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed concern about the war in Ukraine. He noted that from both sides, there does not seem to be real progress towards peace.
As a result of enemy attacks and bad weather, consumers in four regions of Ukraine have been left without power. In Odesa region, almost 100,000 subscribers are without electricity due to equipment damage and difficult weather conditions.
Ihor Zhovkva met with NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge. New defense support packages, which Ukraine expects to receive by February 24, were discussed.
In Odesa, after Russia's night attack, critical infrastructure facilities have been switched to backup power. Additional tents and heating points are being deployed for people.
