In this heating season, it is more important for Ukraine to have more weapons and, in particular, air defense systems than to import energy resources.

It's time for the Ministry of Energy and the CMU to return to reality. In recent days, many loud statements have been heard from the Ministry of Energy regarding the possibility of exporting electricity from Ukraine to the EU in huge quantities, which can replace 5 billion cubic meters. m. of gas per year.

However, for some reason, the actual energy balance is not considered. Ukraine has already lost more than 10 GW of generating capacity due to the purposeful destruction of the energy infrastructure by Russian fascists or the occupation (ZANPP, Zaporizhzhya TPP, Vuglegirsk TPP, Slovyansk TPP, Luhansk TPP, Kurakhiv TPP, Kakhov HPP, 70% RES, and others).

So, suppose Ukraine cannot return to Energodar — the heart of the Ukrainian energy industry. In that case, Ukraine will have to think not about exporting but importing electrical energy in the winter. But even if the Armed Forces liberate the occupied territories (we all believe in this), the problem will not go away because a terrorist is a terrorist — he is unlikely to leave infrastructure facilities in working order.

Due to the historic drop in demand for gas and electricity in connection with the war, a challenging resource problem in the heating season of 2022–2023 should not occur. At the same time, the most significant risk is missile strikes on thermal power plants, thermal power plants, and possibly nuclear power plants.

Therefore, the priority is not the purchase of gas in excessive volumes under lend-lease but the supply of the latest air defense systems to protect the energy infrastructure and offensive weapons from freeing Ukraine from the brown plague.