The upcoming heating season is at risk due to a shortage of personnel in the energy sector

Ukraine’s energy and housing and utilities sectors are facing a severe shortage of technical workers, which could pose serious risks for the upcoming heating season.

This was stated by Oleg Popenko, head of the Union of Utility Consumers.

According to him, staffing levels for technical specialists in the energy and housing and utilities sectors currently average no more than 35%, whereas before the full-scale war, this figure reached 52–54%.

There is a particularly acute shortage of electricians, plumbers, and other technical specialists who ensure the repair and uninterrupted operation of critical infrastructure. The average age of workers in the sector exceeds 55 years.

Popenko expressed skepticism about the possibility of quickly addressing the staffing shortage through migrant workers, noting that foreign specialists require extensive training to work with Ukraine’s heating, water, and energy supply systems.

According to him, the staff shortage is already affecting the pace of repair work in cities, where pipe replacement and infrastructure restoration are often delayed for weeks due to a lack of workers.

The expert emphasized that it is these specialists who carry out both emergency and scheduled repairs, on which the stable operation of utility systems in winter depends.

Gas imports to Ukraine fell 28-fold in April.

Ukrainewill increase gas imports from Poland, according to the regulator.