Russian propaganda is once again spreading a fabricated quote falsely attributed to former Ukrainian Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko.

Propagandists mock what they claim are his words, sarcastically commenting: “Preparing for the cold the Ukrainian way”. Halushchenko is falsely attributed a line from a fake interview with the outlet Bukvy: “The fewer power plants we have, the easier they are to protect – it’s simple logic”. This was reported by StopFake.

In reality, this quote is completely fabricated. It first appeared back in June last year, when Herman Halushchenko was indeed serving as Minister of Energy. However, as of July 17, 2025, he was replaced in the post by Svitlana Hrynchuk. Neither Halushchenko nor his successor has ever made such comments to Bukvy or to any other Ukrainian media outlet. The fake news was circulated exclusively through pro-Russian sources linked to the Kremlin. This year, it was “revived” ahead of the heating season in an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian government and create an impression of chaos in the energy sector.

In reality, as reported by the current Minister of Energy, Svitlana Hrynchuk, the situation in the energy system remains under control despite daily shelling. Speaking on the national telethon, she stated: “Almost every day, Russian energy terror continues. Energy workers are working around the clock, and it is thanks to their dedicated efforts that the energy system remains stable”. The minister clarified that in October alone, the enemy carried out two missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure, including generation facilities, transmission and distribution networks, as well as railway and gas facilities. In addition, Russia is using a tactic of “double terror”, launching repeated strikes on already damaged sites to complicate restoration efforts.