Ukraine considers engaging European rescuers during winter attacks - Koretskyi
Ukraine is negotiating with European partners about possible involvement of their rescuers, specialists and special equipment to deal with the consequences of Russian strikes during peak periods next winter.
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said this in an interview with "TSN.Tyzhden". According to him, additional European forces may be needed if massive attacks cause a large number of accidents and destruction simultaneously in different regions.
"We are also talking to European partners so that they provide their emergency services, rescuers with equipment and people", Koretskyi said.
The Prime Minister explained that such a mechanism would give Ukraine additional human resources and equipment precisely at times of greatest load on the SES and repair services. According to him, the previous heating season showed that during large-scale consequences of attacks there may be a shortage of specialists.
The government is simultaneously building up its own reserves before winter. Koretskyi said that this year Ukraine has built more generating capacity, increased the number of critical facilities with backup power, created larger stocks of equipment and spare parts, and prepared more repair crews and machinery.
At the same time, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the implementation of the previously approved Resilience Plan is lagging somewhat. According to him, the document from the very beginning envisaged a very ambitious scope of work to protect critical infrastructure, which is difficult to fully implement due to cost, shortage of contractors and limited deadlines.
Koretskyi also warned that the government is preparing for a more difficult scenario of Russian attacks in winter. According to the Prime Minister, Russia is stockpiling missile weapons for use in the cold period. This is the assessment of the Ukrainian authorities, not confirmed data on a specific strike plan.
In parallel, Ukraine is strengthening the protection of energy and other critical facilities. Koretskyi noted that it is impossible to physically protect all infrastructure completely, especially from ballistic missiles, so the preparation includes backup generation, equipment, emergency crews and alternative power sources.
The need for additional forces to deal with the consequences of attacks remains significant. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 56,000 rescuers work in the SES system, who during the war deal not only with fires and emergencies, but also with the elimination of consequences of strikes, evacuation, demining and restoration of critical infrastructure.
Koretskyi stated that Ukraine is better prepared for winter this year than last year, but expects a difficult season due to the strengthening of Russian means of destruction. Independent reports about his interview also confirm that the government has already turned to European partners regarding possible involvement of their emergency rescue services.
Source: "TSN.Tyzhden", Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
