​​​​ISTANBUL

Russian strikes this winter caused Ukraine to lose almost 50% of its gas production capacity, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Tuesday.

“Ukraine has gone through the third heating season of wartime, and now we are actively preparing for next winter. We are implementing a set of measures to strengthen our energy sector,” he said during a government meeting, cited by the state-run Ukrinform news agency.

Highlighting efforts to secure international support, Shmyhal noted that Ukrainian officials recently visited Washington, where securing additional resources for energy stability was a key focus.

He announced that Ukraine signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for €270 million, and Norway would provide a €140 million grant.

“With these funds, we plan to purchase an additional 1 billion cubic meters of gas so that Ukrainians’ homes will have light and warmth next winter,” he said.

Shmyhal emphasized to offset the winter losses, Ukraine has already contracted 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas this year. He also said state energy company, Naftogaz, will purchase an additional 300 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Orlen in Poland.