The head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, was dismissed from his role on Sept. 2, two members of the company's supervisory board confirmed on Sept. 3.
Via a post on Ukrenergo's Telegram account, Chairman of the supervisory board Daniel Dobenni, and supervisory board member Peder Andreasen, also said they were stepping down from their positions in protest of what they described as a "politically motivated" decision.
Kudrytskyi's dismissal comes after days of speculation over his future at the company, with Ukrainian media reporting he was facing the axe on grounds of failing to safeguard energy facilities amid intensified Russian attacks.
Economic Pravda reported on Aug. 30, citing unnamed government sources and energy company contacts, that Kudrytskyi would face dismissal "in the near future" amid energy security concerns, as well as a corruption probe.
Ahead of Ukrenergo's decision, Western organizations operating in Ukraine, including the European Union, sent a letter to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressing concern over the upcoming dismissal.
"Such an event could jeopardize our collective ability to support Ukrenergo and other priority measures of Ukraine's vital energy security," the letter stated.
Russia has repeatedly used mass attacks against Ukraine's energy grid to break the country's ability and resolve to fight off the invasion, first during the autumn-winter period of 2022-2023 and then again in the spring of 2024.
After a relative lull over the summer that gave Ukraine a chance to restore some of its capacity, Russia launched fresh attacks in the past few days, again necessitating restrictions on energy consumption.
The largest-ever aerial strike against Ukraine took place on Aug. 26 with Russia firing over 230 missiles and drones and yet again targeting energy infrastructure.
Kateryna Hodunova
