16.07.2025
Dear colleagues,
Over the past few years, and especially in the conditions of a full-scale war, Ukrainian energy workers have proven their professionalism and heroism daily, restoring electricity supplies after shelling. In this titanic work, every minute is critically important. This makes the systemic problem that artificially hinders this work all the more surprising and disappointing: the stopping and fining of emergency repair crews due to weight and dimension control.
The absurdity of a situation where a mobile crane, heading to repair damage to the grid, receives a multi-thousand hryvnia fine is obvious to all market participants. That is why ENERGY CLUB officially appealed to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine with a request to resolve this issue at the state level.
We recently received an official response from the Ministry.
It is a formal document that extensively quotes current legislation, particularly the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses regarding the size of fines and the Traffic Rules. We were informed that there is currently an automated system for recording violations, which ensures the preservation of roads, and that exceptions to the weight and dimension control rules are already provided for certain categories. These include equipment for winter road maintenance, vehicles of the State Emergency Service (SES) during emergency missions, and equipment for ensuring state defense capability during martial law.
Unfortunately, the special equipment of distribution system operators, which performs work no less critical to national security, is not included in this list. In its response, the Ministry did not propose any solutions to the problem, instead pointing to the existing procedures for individual consideration of each case and the right to appeal it.
Our position remains unchanged: this state of affairs is unacceptable. The work of an emergency energy crew is essentially no different from the work of other emergency services. Is restoring power to a hospital, a military facility, or an entire city a less important task? Every hour of delay due to bureaucratic obstacles is not just an inconvenience, but a direct threat to the stability and security of our citizens.
For us, a formal response is not a defeat, but merely one stage in the fight. It has clearly shown where the root of the problem lies—in the imperfection of the legislation. Therefore, we are moving on to the next steps:
I call on the entire energy community to unite. I ask the distribution system operators to provide us with the necessary data as quickly as possible, as this is our common cause.
We are convinced that by joining forces, we can prove our position and achieve this vitally important change.
