DiXi Group participated in the 19th “Ukraine–Poland” Forum, organized by the Stefan Batory Foundation and the International Renaissance Foundation. Mykhailo Babiіchuk, General Manager for Security and Resilience at DiXi Group, spoke during his presentation about community resilience in the face of Russia’s systematic attacks on critical civilian infrastructure.
According to the expert, attacks on infrastructure turn nationwide energy crises into local breakdowns of daily life. As a result, municipalities have effectively become the “front line” of resilience.
“Ukrainian communities are transitioning from ad hoc measures in emergencies to planned systems that ensure the uninterrupted functioning of critical needs: electricity, water, heat, healthcare, communications, and social services, even when the power grid is under attack. For Ukraine, this is no longer just a matter of energy security, but a civilian dimension of national security”, – emphasized Mykhailo Babiіchuk.
The general manager also discussed practical lessons for local authorities learned during cyberattacks, including:
- The resilience of distribution networks is a prerequisite for water utilities, district heating, healthcare and other critical services.
- Critical loads. Communities should define priority facilities in advance: hospitals, water, wastewater, heating and emergency services.
- Standardized solutions. Mobile substations, spare transformers, standard connection schemes and warehouse hubs accelerate recovery.
- Communication with residents, explaining the reasons for restrictions, expected duration and possible deviations is part of resilience.
Regarding Polish-Ukrainian cooperation, the expert is convinced that the next phase should focus on projects to strengthen resilience at the municipal level and on the bilateral exchange of experience gained during wartime. In particular, this should be discussed during the June Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Gdańsk.
Participation in the discussion was also made possible through the support of the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the project “Strengthening Ukraine’s Resilience in Energy” (SURE)”.
