05.02.2026
Martial law has radically changed the Ukrainian business approach to energy supply. What was previously considered a basic operating condition has today become one of the key factors in maintaining production and fulfilling contractual obligations.
Source: “EnergoBusiness” magazine
As a result of hostilities, over 70% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. This has caused a deficit in generating capacity, forcing the energy system to balance between scheduled outage schedules and alternative sources to cover consumption. Under these conditions, electricity imports have effectively transformed from an additional option into a full-fledged instrument for maintaining stability.
Recent months confirm this transformation. In January 2026 alone, Tolk Ukraine imported 3,661 MWh of electricity for its clients, allowing enterprises to operate without stoppages during periods of peak loads and domestic resource deficits.
Electricity imports from EU countries—specifically Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, and Moldova—are the tool that allows for partial compensation of the deficit in the national energy system and creates the opportunity for enterprises to work without the constant risk of halting production processes. For business, this is not a theoretical advantage, but a question of adhering to technological cycles and preserving productivity and jobs.
Practice also shows that power outages generate a much wider spectrum of problems than just a supply interruption. This involves additional costs for backup power sources, time lost due to switching, reduced production volumes, and in some cases, direct technological and financial losses. Ultimately, the cost of such risks often exceeds the price difference between the domestic resource and imported electricity.
That is why imports are increasingly viewed by businesses as a risk management tool. It ensures uninterrupted power supply, allows avoiding scheduled outages, reduces production losses, and enables operation without power limitations. For many enterprises, this means maintaining control over business processes even during periods of peak load on the energy system.
A demonstrative example is Kromberg & Schubert Ukraine LU, which utilized the opportunity to import electricity with the participation of Tolk Ukraine. According to the company’s Technical Director, Viktoria Pazychuk, during the first two months of using imported electricity, its cost proved to be almost on par with Ukrainian prices. Previous concerns regarding economic unfeasibility were not confirmed, while a comparison with generators showed the obvious advantage of imports—both in terms of stability and cost predictability.
This case well illustrates the shift in business approaches to energy security.
Whereas previously the main constraining factor was price, today reliability and the ability to plan come to the forefront. “Conditional savings” lose meaning when accompanied by production downtime and broken contracts.
In the near future, the issue of business energy resilience will only intensify. Therefore, enterprises should already be evaluating available tools—specifically electricity imports—and building their own operating models for conditions of limited resources and high uncertainty. In wartime conditions, stability becomes not an advantage, but a necessity.
Dossier
Mykhailo PETRUK
Born: October 21, 1975, in Lutsk, Volyn region.
Education: Lutsk National Technical University, Faculty of Energy Conservation (1998).
Career:
Family: Married, raising a son and a daughter.
Hobbies: Skiing, travel, country house (dacha).
