Volodymyr Kudrytskyi secures the supply of energy during the war

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi peers into the camera with a smile. He has just signed a contract worth 45 million euros in Kyiv in the presence of German Development Minister Svenja Schulze. This is how much Germany has promised him for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian energy system – one of several instalments in recent years. It is 9 May 2024 – and Kudrytskyi is the head of the country’s biggest electricity grid operator Ukrenergo.  

He took up the position in 2020 and has been in crisis mode ever since. First he had to manage the coronavirus pandemic, working flat out to switch all operations to “remote”. Then came the Russian war of aggression, with the Ukrainian energy infrastructure in particular coming under heavy attack. Barely a night goes by without Russia carrying out drone or missile strikes on power stations, substations or electricity pylons as part of its war against civilians and infrastructure. These strikes can often be intercepted, but not always. This is why the reconstruction of the electricity grid has become an ongoing task.  

Around 1,500 specialists are permanently deployed in mobile units. “They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week if necessary,” says Kudrytskyi. At great risk to their lives, they attempt to repair damage as quickly as possible after attacks. “An enormous effort was required after the first winter.” 60 per cent of the power generation facilities were damaged or destroyed at the time. Thanks to “something of a minor miracle”, 95 per cent of the network was repaired in time for the next cold season, says Kudrytskyi, ensuring that Ukraine got through the winter quite well. But energy plants have once again come under massive attack since March 2024.  

This is another reason why the support provided by the KfW on behalf of the Federal Government is “absolutely vital”, as the Ukrenergo boss says: “We wouldn’t have been able to survive the last two winters without the funds from abroad”. Kudrytskyi remains hopeful despite all the hardships: throughout its entire history, Ukraine has never had it easy, he says, and the same applies now: “We’ll have to fight our way to freedom, independence and democracy”. This is why he is on the energy front.