Heating season in doubt: Popenko revealed what was hidden from Ukrainians.

Energy and housing and communal services expert, Oleg Popenko, expressed doubts about the government's official statement on the full readiness of Ukraine for the heating season. He shared his opinion in an interview on the YouTube channel of Olena Kystritsa.

Popenko noted that although the government claims that the country is 100% ready for winter, the real situation is much worse. He also emphasized that this problem is not new and suddenly arises in every heating season.

According to the Cabinet's report, Ukraine is 100% ready for winter. That's how it sounds from the mouths of our officials. In reality, the situation is not just bad, it's simply bad. Moreover, this is not a problem of today, not of yesterday, and not even of the last three years. Each heating season for Ukraine — is a big problem that comes suddenly», — noted Popenko.

The expert paid special attention to the statement by Minister of Education Oxen Lisovyi about the need for 3,300 generators for schools. This was said only two weeks after Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal declared the country's full readiness for winter.

Popenko also noted that in the energy sector, there are sufficient reserves of coal and spare parts for "Ukrenergo", and major repairs are being carried out. However, in the field of housing and communal services, there is no necessary funding and government programs for heating services, water utilities, and housing stock.

If in the energy sector we have 2 million tons of coal, multidimensional spare parts reserves for "Ukrenergo", and major repairs are carried out, then in the housing and utility sector no money has been provided. No state programs — not for heating services, nor for water utilities, nor for the housing stock. Everything is at the level of «Leave it alone. How it is there, so deal with it», — he emphasized.

Popenko also drew attention to the systemic nature of the problem and noted that the issue of modernizing heating services is not even discussed in the information space, although it requires urgent repair of 14 thousand kilometers of pipes.

According to the expert, problems in the field of housing and communal services remain at the level of local councils, which makes it impossible to comprehensively solve them at the national level.