Russia's Energy Ministry says its emergency reserves of equipment and spare parts for restoring energy infrastructure in border regions and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories have tripled. Vitaly Popravka, deputy director of the ministry's department for operational management of the fuel and energy sector, made the statement at a Federation Council roundtable on the 2026–27 heating season, according to Vedomosti.
The official also said a workforce of 154,000 people had been assembled to respond to emergencies and carry out repairs. The ministry links the preparations to the risk of damage to energy facilities and the need to restore electricity quickly after emergencies.
Energy infrastructure in Russia's border regions and occupied Ukrainian territory has been repeatedly damaged during the war, causing power outages and disruptions to utilities. Russian authorities attribute such incidents to Ukrainian attacks; the circumstances of each strike require separate examination.
According to the ministry, the reserves have already been expanded rather than merely earmarked for future growth. However, it has not disclosed a detailed inventory, the original reserve volume, the method used to count the 154,000-strong workforce or comparable figures on the speed of repairs. The claimed increase therefore cannot be independently calculated or taken as evidence that power restoration times have shortened.