MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. The Ukrainian energy sector needs new equipment worth $1 billion as power companies are running low on available reserves, Economic Minister Alexey Sobolev said.

In his words, the Ukrainian energy sector urgently needs "new transformers, mobile substations and power grid equipment."

"We need to somehow survive this part of the severe winter, and to do that we need equipment, first of all. Unfortunately, the available reserves have already been depleted," he said in a video, posted by the Novosti.Live Telegram channel. "[We also need] generators, which produce approximately one gigawatt of energy in total all over the country and help to support businesses. It’s hard for them to work under current low temperatures, and they are breaking down, so we need a reserve stockpile of generators as well. The [power sector’s] urgent needs are estimated at over $1 billion."

A state of emergency is currently in effect in Ukraine’s energy sector. Power outages lasting several hours are occurring daily in all regions of the country. In the event of grid overload, power system blackouts occur, and their duration is unlimited. As a result, supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants are suspending their work, and schools in some regions are extending holidays or switching to distance learning.