Winter in Ukraine is expected to be exceptionally harsh this year. Even before temperatures have dropped to the extent that they will do, large parts of the country are already suffering widespread power outages. When the snow arrives and the frost sets in, conditions are likely to become unbearable.
Russian forces continue to relentlessly bomb energy infrastructure in an effort to break the population’s morale. The Ukrainians, however, are resisting and preparing for the hardships ahead – repairing damaged networks wherever possible and securing power through generators and batteries.
In Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Lviv and other cities, during hours of blackouts, an uncanny sound fills the air – as if thousands of mopeds with broken exhaust pipes were roaring through the streets. It is the noise of generators which, in wartime, have become as vital to survival on the home front as weapons are on the front line. They are indispensable for households as well as for small and medium-sized businesses.
Even apartment building elevators depend on them – ensuring a quick descent to basement shelters whenever the alarm sounds for an impending airstrike.
After the conference
Amid war and growing anxiety about the coming winter, Ukrainians had more reason than anyone to travel to Athens for the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) meeting. The conference focused on the Vertical Natural Gas Corridor, a project linking Greece with Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and, ultimately, Ukraine. Postwar reconstruction will require sufficient energy supplies – a goal the vertical corridor, which transports American LNG through Greece, can substantially support and, to a large extent, guarantee. The project also serves a broader purpose: advancing the energy independence of Southeastern Europe from Russian gas.
In Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Lviv and other cities, during hours of blackouts, an uncanny sound fills the air – as if thousands of mopeds with broken exhaust pipes were roaring through the streets. It is the noise of generators
Ukrainian interest is directed primarily toward the day after the war, when the country will need to be rebuilt, rather than the current phase – for which they appear to have already made their arrangements. The Vertical Natural Gas Corridor was successfully tested last year, delivering gas to Ukraine, which has already purchased a significant quantity of American LNG. However, the high transit fees imposed by Romania and Moldova have made transportation economically unfeasible, bringing Croatia and its port of Krk into the discussion.
At the Athens conference earlier this month – attended by the US delegation – it was agreed, under American pressure, to reduce transit fees and enhance interconnectivity between the networks of the countries along the route, including through additional infrastructure projects.
The Balkan perspective
How did the Balkan countries view the Athens summit and, more broadly, the Vertical Natural Gas Corridor? They had little choice but to support it, given that the corridor represents a strategic priority for both the United States and Europe in their pursuit of energy independence from Russia – whose expansionist threat the Balkans feel most directly as neighboring states since the invasion of Ukraine.
Moreover, as LNG flows out of Greece, it will supply the transit countries along its path, each retaining the quantities it requires. Beyond the energy aspect, Balkan leaders viewed the Athens conference as a valuable opportunity to meet and engage with senior US officials in the new geopolitical landscape – people to whom they would otherwise have limited access. As a result, they dispatched high-level delegations to attend.
Romania’s current leadership, in particular – representing the most important country along the corridor – is eager to restore its relationship with the Trump camp, which had been strained during the last elections, when the American president’s favored candidate failed to win.
In Bucharest
“We have strengthened Romania’s position as a strategic actor in the region, emphasizing transatlantic cooperation in the field of energy and American investment in our country. We also reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to the Vertical Energy Corridor – a project of vital importance for Europe’s energy security and for connecting the Black Sea region with Euro-Atlantic networks,” said Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare upon returning to Bucharest.
In Sofia
Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA published a statement by Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, in which he emphasized that, “for Bulgaria, connectivity, diversification, and the security of energy supply are key priorities,” presenting his country as “a reliable and active partner in building a strong, modern and sustainable European energy system.”
In Chisinau
The third key participant in the corridor, Moldova, has also signaled a shift in its energy landscape. Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu, who attended the Athens meeting, said that the small country is no longer dependent on Russian natural gas, as it now sources energy from international markets – transforming from a vulnerable consumer into an active regional partner and a contributor to Europe’s energy stability.
As paradoxical as it may sound, Ukraine – the main prospective customer for American LNG via the vertical corridor – is not currently in urgent need of natural gas, despite the ongoing war. The country receives supplies through Slovakia and the regasification terminal in Lithuania, storing them in vast underground facilities.
But if it already has fuel, why the anxiety about the coming winter?
Because, although Ukraine may have gas and oil, it cannot use them. Russian forces continue to bomb and destroy the systems and equipment that convert fuel into energy. As one energy expert put it, “What good are gas and oil if you don’t have installations, transformers, capacitors, or networks to power your cities and villages?”
Given that replacing destroyed mechanical infrastructure in its energy networks is a top priority, the Ukrainian delegation discussed the matter with the Greek side on the sidelines of the Athens conference. It was agreed that generators and other mechanical components would be sent to assist Ukraine.
Reports suggest that official announcements on this initiative are expected during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit to Athens.
A source familiar with the discussions told Kathimerini: “The Public Power Corporation (PPC) is removing old mechanical equipment from lignite-fired power plants in Ptolemaida, Kardia and Megalopoli as part of the transition to green energy. This machinery could be valuable to the Ukrainians, who are less concerned with green energy right now than with surviving the winter. They’re sending teams to inspect whether the equipment is compatible with their systems – which are based on old Soviet models. Some components fit; others don’t.”
At the same time, both sides are exploring how best to deliver the equipment – whether through exports or donations. Some machinery does not belong to the state but to private companies.
“For instance, we wanted to send them some large Romanian-made generators, room-sized units we had acquired for the Olympic Games. They inspected them, but unfortunately, they weren’t compatible,” the same source explained.
“So far, we’ve only sent small items – firefighting gear, uniforms – but for them, these are essentials. All of this was discussed on the sidelines of the Athens conference.”
‘The prospects are enormous’
For the countries of Southeastern Europe through which the LNG pipeline will pass – new infrastructure set to reshape the region’s energy landscape – perhaps even more significant is the highway and railway network that will connect them to the Mediterranean Sea via Alexandroupoli or further south, positioning Greece as both an energy and transportation hub.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, recently told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that a cooperation agreement between Greece, Bulgaria and Romania for the project is expected to be signed in Brussels in early December.
“The vertical axis will link Greece with Bulgaria and Romania, and from that axis, Moldova and Ukraine will be connected to the east, and the rest of Europe to the west. It will be an important corridor both for trade and for military mobility,” he said.
Speaking specifically about Greece, he emphasized that “the prospects for Greece are enormous, as it will gain a very significant geostrategic and commercial role, with its ports serving as entry points for all of Europe.”