Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect energy sector - Galushchenko

Ukraine urgently requires air defense systems from its Western partners to protect its infrastructure from Russian attacks.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said this during an interview with Ukrinform at the international exhibition and conference "ReBuild Ukraine: Construction and Energy" in Warsaw.

"Air defense. An effective defense system is the main issue. My fellow energy ministers also talked a lot about this publicly at the conference," Galushchenko said when asked about Ukraine's most pressing needs.

He called it a "good sign" because everyone is aware that much of the infrastructure repaired and restored in 2023 to ensure a stable winter was unfortunately destroyed again this year.

"Now we have completed another large-scale repair campaign. But if the restored infrastructure is destroyed again, then it is a kind of running in circles: you repair it, and the Russians destroy it again and again. Of course, we will repair everything in any case, but the key problem is clear to everyone -- we must fully close our skies to air attacks," Galushchenko said.

He added that energy ministers from many countries echoed similar sentiments during the conference.

Galushchenko also highlighted a growing level of interest from international partners in Ukraine's energy sector. Compared to last year's reconstruction conference, this year's event attracted significantly more participation, with approximately 600 companies from over 40 countries.

"It is extremely important that many businesses at the conference are eager to work in Ukraine. Some are already active in Ukraine's energy sector, while others want to come to our country. The support we feel is critical, and it's tangible. This is support for projects implemented both at the level of businesses and at the level of governments," Galushchenko said.