RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CONFRONTATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR: A MANAGERIAL ASPECT

Abstract

Abstract. The author conducted a study of the issues of the Russian-Ukrainian energy confrontation in the context of public administration mechanisms in forming a resilient energy security system for the state, starting from the Ukraine’s independence in 1991 to the present. The study demonstrates that Ukraine’s energy system is operating in an extremely critical state and is currently preparing for the 2024–2025 autumn-winter period under wartime conditions. This examination, therefore, highlights the necessity of investigating the Russian-Ukrainian energy confrontation through the lens of public administration mechanisms in forming a resilient energy security system for the state. A separate part of the study focused on the theoretical foundations for analyzing international energy confrontations between countries, including the processes of creating artificial surplus and deficit economic conditions in global energy markets, and other administrative mechanisms employed by states to strengthen and preserve their energy security. The research illustrated the chronology, features, and characteristics of key events in the Russian-Ukrainian energy antagonism from 1991 to 2024, with special attention to the current period of Russia’s full-scale military invasion starting in 2022. Additionally, it detailed the stages of Russia’s destructive influence on Ukraine’s energy security over different periods. The study demonstrated that acts of energy terrorism, carried out at the state level by Russia against Ukraine’s civilian fuel and energy infrastructure, have become an integral part of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. These actions by the aggressor state have evolved into a distinct and significant form of military aggression, constituting a critical component of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It was argued that it is impossible to fully and accurately predict Russia’s future aggressive actions aimed at undermining the integrity of Ukraine’s energy security. Therefore, the primary goal of public administration should be the formation of a comprehensive, adaptive-dynamic mechanism to ensure the stable operation of Ukraine’s energy sector.