Hanna Zamazieieva Joins #OsloEnergyForum — a High-Level Event Held Traditionally Ahead of the Munich Security Conference
This year, immediately following another night-time attack on Ukraine’s energy system, the Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency, Hanna Zamazieieva, spoke to international partners about a winter that has become a true test of resilience for Ukraine.
“This winter, cold has become a weapon. Not due to nature. Not due to accidents. But because of Russia’s systematic, targeted attacks on our energy system. Today, the highest cost for Ukraine is humanitarian. Children sleep in their coats. Families set up ‘tents’ inside their apartments to retain heat. People heat water and bricks on stoves because homes are cold and heating is unavailable. Heartbreaking stories include military veterans with bionic prosthetics — without electricity, they cannot charge their devices,” emphasized Hanna Zamazieieva.
Today, Ukrainian energy workers operate under shelling. Repair crews go to substations knowing strikes may repeat. Rescue teams restore heating networks in icy water. These are examples of extraordinary courage — yet no country in the 21st century should have to live under such conditions.
Our response is to build an energy system that cannot be destroyed by a single strike.
The Head of the Agency also highlighted that, over the past year alone, hundreds of small-scale distributed generation facilities have been deployed in Ukraine: gas-piston and gas-turbine units, modular boiler systems, cogeneration solutions for hospitals and water supply systems, solar power plants with energy storage for critical infrastructure.
In Ukraine, regulatory procedures have been simplified, connections accelerated, and opportunities for communities and businesses to install their own generation expanded. What previously took years is now implemented within months.
Ukrainians demonstrate exceptional resilience, yet support from international partners remains critically important. This is not always about funding: sometimes the equipment is available, but specialists are lacking to connect and integrate it quickly.
“In Oslo, a key point was made: the speed of energy transformation is determined by trust — trust of investors in the rules of the game, predictability of state policy, and coordination of decisions across countries.
This is how a new architecture of energy security is formed.
Ukraine’s integration into the European energy space is our strategic choice. We are harmonizing legislation, implementing European standards, and developing market mechanisms to support the ‘green’ transformation,” Hanna Zamazieieva said.
International partners, particularly UNDP Ukraine, also play a significant role in this process. Within the UNDP Program for Green Energy Recovery in Ukraine, and with the support of partners from Norway, Sweden, Japan, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, France, the EU, South Korea, and Belgium, energy equipment with a total capacity of over 500 MW has already been partially procured. This will ensure stable operation of hospitals, water and heating systems, and other essential services.
Ukraine is not only a country undergoing extreme trials. It is a state with unique experience in energy resilience, which is already valuable for Europe. We are ready to be not only participants in discussions but full partners in shaping a new energy architecture.
At the Forum, the Head of the Agency discussed key issues with distinguished partners, including Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Chief of Defense of Norway Eirik Kristoffersen. Special thanks to Professor Ulf Sverdrup for professional and substantive moderation.
We thank the Forum organizers and international partners for their consistent and principled support of Ukraine. “Despite all challenges, our cooperation is not only preserved but becoming stronger and more effective,” emphasized Hanna Zamazieieva.
Special thanks to Ukrainian photographers who help show the world how Ukrainians endure days of darkness and cold, and reveal the truth about enemy crimes. During her speech, the audience saw footage by Yan Dobronosov.
