There seems to be no end in sight to the war – even so, the CEO of Ukrainian utility firm DTEK is already looking to the future.
In the past few weeks, Maxim Timchenko has been bringing stories of his homeland to other countries.
He has also been mobilising support and talking about post-war Ukraine, particularly in relation to the electricity sector.
Mr Timchenko, who recently featured on the Redefining Energy podcast, in association with Eurelectric, acknowledged how difficult the situation was in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion.
But he told hosts Gerard Reid and Laurent Segalen – who will be recording a special episode at this year’s Power Summit – that people quickly realised that this was a fight for their future.
In the short term, the DTEK boss is calling on those in the power sector to continue to use their voice to end the war. He also wants them to continue supporting the embargo of Russian oil and gas.
But eventually, he wants Ukraine to be part of the solution to Europe’s previous reliance on Russian resources.
Mr Timchenko – who will address the upcoming Power Summit – revealed that he and his colleagues knew they had to keep supplying power to their customers, no matter what.
He exaplained that even when his “heroic” staff get permission from the military to travel to damaged sites, they cannot be sure they will be safe.
“War is war,” said Mr Timchenko. “They risk their lives every second they go to these territories.”
Hear the full conversation.
