Ukraine commissioned 324 MW of new wind power capacity in 2025 and plans to bring a further 500 MW online in 2026. By comparison, Poland added 256 MW of new wind capacity during the whole of 2025. The difference in the pace of development is striking at a time when energy security is increasingly viewed as a pillar of national security.
Despite Russia’s ongoing aggression, Ukraine continues to invest in renewable energy. According to data from the Ukrainian wind industry, the country has added a total of 702 MW of new wind capacity since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In 2025 alone, 324 MW was commissioned, while projects with a combined capacity of around 500 MW are expected to come online in 2026.
“Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of our country, we have gained an additional 702 MW of new wind power capacity. Last year alone, this amounted to 324 MW. More importantly, we expect another 500 MW this year,” said Olha Savchenko, a representative of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association.
These figures stand in contrast to the situation in Poland. According to the Energy Market Agency, 256 MW of new wind capacity was connected to Poland’s power system in 2025. This means that Ukraine, despite the risks of war, commissioned more new wind capacity than Poland over the same period.
Energy as a pillar of national resilience
The expansion of renewable energy in Ukraine is not only a climate or economic issue. It is also a response to the destruction of energy infrastructure and the country’s experience of dependence on fossil fuels and imported raw materials.
A significant share of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been targeted by Russian attacks. Conventional assets, including coal-fired power plants, have been particularly severely affected. In this context, the development of decentralised energy sources, such as wind farms, is seen as one way of strengthening the resilience of the country’s energy system.
“Perhaps more than anyone else in the world, we understand how important energy security and independence are. That is why investments in onshore wind power are not controversial in Ukraine,” Savchenko stressed.
At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk, one of the key topics was the modernisation of Ukraine’s economy and energy system in connection with the country’s future integration with the European Union. Discussions on reconstruction highlighted energy investment, infrastructure resilience and system decentralisation as crucial priorities for post-war recovery.
Poland: potential constrained by procedures
In Poland, the wind industry points to continuing regulatory, administrative and location-related barriers that restrict the development of onshore wind farms. Preparing an investment, from spatial planning through obtaining permits and securing a grid connection, can take several or even more than a dozen years.
Industry representatives argue that this results in a slower pace of new investment, lower use of Poland’s domestic wind potential and a greater risk of failing to meet energy-transition targets. The debate also continues to focus on the availability of electricity-grid capacity and restrictions created by turbine-location rules.
Wind energy was also discussed at the PSEW 2026 conference in Świnoujście. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to the connection between renewable-energy development and national security.
“Wind turbines provide cheaper and safer energy. They offer an opportunity to build the security of the Polish state,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The minister also highlighted the need to counter disinformation about renewable energy. In his view, false or unsupported claims about the impact of wind farms on health and the environment can obstruct investments that are economically and strategically important for the country.
Dialogue with local communities
At the same time, wind-energy development requires dialogue with residents and careful consideration of environmental conditions. In Ukraine, as in Poland, projects require environmental-impact assessments, consultations and cooperation with local authorities.
“We make sure that wind projects are not carried out at the expense of the environment or in protected areas. We also work with local communities by organising meetings and supporting local investments,” Savchenko noted.
Ukraine’s experience shows that wind energy can be viewed not only as a tool for climate transition, but also as a component of economic and infrastructure resilience. For Poland, the comparison of 2025 results is a signal that the pace of onshore wind development remains below the sector’s potential and below the scale of the energy-security challenges facing the country.
Source: CEO.com.pl
