Before the Cold Arrives: Protecting Heat, Protecting Lives
Published: Aug 21, 2025 Reading time: 2 minutes Share: Share an articleIn Pavlohrad, sirens are heard more often than silence. The city faces a daily drone and missile strikes, and more than 43,000 residents, many of whom are displaced, depend on district heating. Damage to critical infrastructure and outdated equipment constantly undermine the stability of the heating supply. To ensure that people are kept warm in winter, we, with the support of the European Union, are modernising the city's most important boiler-houses.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Pavlohrad has endured more than fifty attacks. Heat supply facilities have been particularly affected, with broken windows, walls cracked and equipment rendered inoperable due to sudden power cuts. Nevertheless, the municipal enterprise Pavlohrad Teploenerho is preparing to heat homes, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals for the winter. It operates 15 boiler-houses, 13 heating stations, and over 76 kilometres of networks—79% of which are worn out. Consequently, heat loss exceeds 21%, affecting the cost and stability of services.
“Most of our boilers have been in service for about 20 years. The lack of heat transfer fluid recirculation stations accelerates their wear and tear, increases gas consumption, and leads to equipment malfunctions. During the war, this has threatened to leave thousands of people without heat,” says Volodymyr Perelyotov, chief engineer at Pavlohrad Teploenerho.
In frontline communities, reliable heating is essential for both comfort and survival. Without it, schools, hospitals, and care centres for the elderly would be unable to function. With European Union support, we supplied Pavlohrad Teploenerho with new equipment. This ensures the stable operation of boilers, increases their efficiency and reduces both heat delivery time and carbon emissions. Following the modernisation of ten boiler-houses, around 31,000 residents will benefit from an efficient heat supply.
“In just a month and a half, we received the equipment and have almost finished installing it. The delivery of shut-off and control valves, as well as large gate valves, was of the utmost importance to us—without them, the system would not work effectively,” adds Volodymyr Perelyotov.
We are working hard to ensure that frontline communities have stable heating. We undertake urgent repairs, improve the efficiency of systems, and add backup heat sources and renewable energy where possible.
“Pavlohrad is just one of the locations where restoration is underway. This year, we are providing equipment and strengthening heating networks in five regions of Ukraine, supporting tens of thousands of residents. Since mid-2024, 40,000 people have already received assistance, and the current work will enable a further 45,000 people to survive the winter in warmth,” says Tevfik Abdulmuhsin, WASH Technical Lead at People in Need.
For Pavlohrad and other Ukrainian cities that regularly suffer from shelling, strengthening infrastructure means hope for the future. Each repaired or modernised facility enables residents to remain in their homes and helps the community to retain its most valuable asset—its people.
