The capital plans to add over 1.5 GW of additional heat generation capacity, in particular through the construction of backup boiler houses, which, according to current estimates, will take about two months to complete, said Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport.
“According to current estimates, the work will take approximately two months to complete, with equipment installation at certain sites scheduled to be finished by the end of December. Therefore, this capacity will bolster the capital’s heat supply already during the heating season,” he wrote on his Telegram channel on Sunday.
According to the minister, he, along with representatives of the city government, the client, and contractors, inspected the construction of protective structures for critical infrastructure facilities and backup boiler houses in Kyiv, as well as assessed the actual progress of the work.
Kalashnik noted that to accelerate the construction of backup boiler houses, they are exploring the possibility of alternative connections to gas networks, carrying out construction and gas-related work simultaneously, increasing the number of crews, and working in multiple shifts. According to him, the clients for the work are the Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in the Kyiv Region and the Kyiv City State Administration, while issues regarding network connections, approval of design solutions, and the provision of equipment are being resolved jointly with city authorities and the gas distribution company.
Kalashnik also noted that there is ongoing coordination between the Ministry, the client, city authorities, and contractors to resolve issues related to network connections, approval of design solutions, and the provision of equipment. At the same time, amendments to the regulatory framework are being developed to accelerate the implementation of similar projects nationwide.
“We also inspected a facility that has been transferred from state to municipal ownership. In the near future, it is expected to become an additional heat source for part of the city. Protecting infrastructure and creating reserve capacity are key components of Kyiv’s resilience plan. A difficult winter lies ahead, and the capital needs these solutions right now,” the minister emphasized.
boiler plant, heat generation, HEATING, INFRASTRUCTURE, KYIV
Global spending on data centers will reach $1 trillion in 2026 and more than double to $2.1 trillion by 2028, according to forecasts by experts at BofA Global Research.
The growth in the technology sector’s spending on data centers is becoming an increasingly important source of revenue for industrial companies that manufacture generators, construction equipment, power distribution equipment, and cooling systems.
Chip and server equipment manufacturers are among the main beneficiaries of the large-scale construction of data centers for artificial intelligence developments, according to the BofA report. Experts estimate the cost of building and equipping data centers at $49 million per 1 MW of capacity, with 78% of that amount going toward IT infrastructure.
According to BofA estimates, the average annual growth rate of data center spending from 2025 to 2030 will be 37%. As a result, experts predict that by 2030, the market will reach $2.93 trillion. For comparison, in 2025, this figure stood at $275 billion.
artificial intelligence, BOFA, DATA CENTER, INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT
Sweden, Finland, and Estonia plan to lay a telecommunications cable between the three countries along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, the Estonian broadcaster ERR reported on Wednesday.
“The project developer and owner of the future infrastructure is GlobalConnect AB, a telecommunications company registered in Sweden. The same company is organizing the surveys necessary for project preparation,” the report states.
The cable will run along the seabed from the Swedish island of Gotland to the Estonian islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, then connect to the Estonian mainland, and finally continue along the seabed to Helsinki.
“In Estonia, the project involves both submarine and terrestrial fiber-optic communication cables,” Tinu Nirk, head of the Communications Markets Department at the Ministry of Justice and Digital Technologies, told ERR. The total length of the terrestrial cable route in Estonia is expected to be 250 km; undersea connections to Finland,
Sweden, and the major islands will add another 300 km.
Construction of the cable will cost approximately EUR40 million, of which EUR15.7 million will be provided by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund.
Currently, there are two communication lines between Estonia and Sweden, and six between Estonia and Finland. However, various cables and pipes have been damaged at sea on multiple occasions in recent years, so a new alternative connection is needed, Nirk stated.
According to him, demand for data transmission is constantly growing, and the new connection will increase data transmission capacity across networks in the Baltic Sea region.
Preparations for the project began in 2025. Cable laying is scheduled for this year and next, and the connection is set to become operational in 2027.
ESTONIA, FINLAND, INFRASTRUCTURE, SWEDEN, telecommunications
October 17–18 of this year Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, paid an official visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan with the aim of further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation, and implementing the agreements reached at the highest level.
On October 17, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the Chinese delegation. The parties discussed the practical implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting of the two countries’ leaders in Bishkek in August 2026 and noted the intensification of contacts between parliaments, governments, regions, and business circles. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to the “One China” policy.
On the same day, talks between Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Li Qiang took place at the “Uzbekistan” International Forum Palace. The main focus was on developing cooperation in industry, energy, agriculture, transportation, digital technologies, and other promising sectors.
Over the past five years, the volume of bilateral trade has tripled, reaching nearly 18 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2025. The volume of Chinese direct investment in Uzbekistan’s economy in 2025 amounted to 17 billion U.S. dollars. There are more than 6,500 enterprises with Chinese capital operating in the country, and the portfolio of promising joint projects is estimated at approximately 60 billion U.S. dollars.
The parties emphasized the importance of constructing the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, which is expected to expand the region’s transport connectivity and create additional opportunities for trade. Other priorities include the development of renewable energy, the chemical industry, automotive manufacturing, metallurgy, geology, infrastructure, peaceful nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine tool manufacturing.
Special attention was given to the development of tourism, cultural, and educational exchanges, particularly increasing the frequency of flights between cities in the two countries. Uzbekistan Culture Days in China and the reciprocal opening of cultural centers are planned for the near future. Cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the “Central Asia–China” format was also discussed.
Following the talks, bilateral memorandums of cooperation were signed in the fields of industry, energy, customs administration, healthcare, e-commerce, and mass media. A symbol of the strengthening of friendly ties was the decision to name one of Tashkent’s streets “Beijing.”
The possibility of establishing backup bridge crossings was discussed by Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport; Yo Osumi, the Japanese Ambassador; and Osamu Hattori, the head of the JICA office in Ukraine.
“The key issue is the possibility of establishing backup bridge crossings. Given the ongoing Russian attacks on transportation infrastructure, we must ensure alternative routes so that, even if the main bridges are damaged, we can maintain connections between the banks, the movement of critically important cargo, the operation of emergency services, and the ability to evacuate people,” Kalashnik wrote on Telegram on Wednesday evening following a meeting with Japanese representatives.
According to Kalashnik, Japan has already provided Ukraine with 720 meters of prefabricated bridge structures. “We are currently exploring the possibility of using the available equipment to construct backup crossings. We have agreed with JICA to continue working together to find effective engineering solutions,” Kalashnik wrote.
The minister also highlighted a second important area—the resilience of critical utility infrastructure ahead of winter. “We discussed the need for backup power supplies for water utilities, modular boiler rooms, and equipment to ensure the uninterrupted operation of heating and water supply systems. Priority lists of necessary equipment have already been submitted to JICA for the development of a new emergency assistance project,” Kalashnik reported.
“We also discussed the implementation of joint reconstruction projects. We recently signed the fifth phase of the Emergency Recovery Program, which allocates $15 million for infrastructure needs. We are also working on extending technical assistance for infrastructure recovery,” he added.
“I am grateful to the Government and people of Japan, the Embassy, and the JICA team for their consistent support of Ukraine and their willingness to address our urgent needs,” the minister concluded.
Ukraine needs to develop a comprehensive program for the protection and resilience of bridge infrastructure; the foundation for this approach was laid as early as 2022, according to the website of the Ukrainian Center for Steel Construction (UCSB).
As explained by the UCSB, Ukraine developed the “Fortress Country” concept for the comprehensive protection of critical infrastructure facilities at that time, which was subsequently approved at the national level. It provides, in particular, for standard solutions for the protection of road and rail bridges.
“Today, it is important to implement these solutions as part of a systematic program for the protection of bridge infrastructure. Critical bridges must be assessed, priorities identified, appropriate design solutions developed, reserves of materials and structural components for repairs established, and the responsible organizations and procedures for responding to damage defined. Otherwise, we will always be reacting: first, damage occurs, then an inspection, a search for design solutions, materials, and contractors—and only then does restoration begin,” notes military officer Artem Bilyk, a member of the Coordination Headquarters for the Engineering Protection of Critical Infrastructure and a leading co-author of the “Fortress Country” concept.
According to him, this model is far too slow for critical infrastructure. We must act proactively, anticipate what the enemy might target, and protect the infrastructure’s vulnerabilities.
A comprehensive program should include at least five areas, such as: surveying and ranking bridges by criticality and the potential consequences of their damage; engineering protection of the most critical structural elements and facilities; organizational and technical measures, including surveillance, security, and countermeasures against drone and missile threats; preparation of reserves for rapid restoration: design solutions, materials, steel structures, and equipment; and the creation of a network of Ukrainian manufacturers capable of producing the necessary structures as quickly as possible and ensuring their installation.
A large-scale program for the engineering protection of bridges could have the added benefit of supporting the Ukrainian steel industry and manufacturers of steel construction products,” notes Andriy Ozeychuk, director of the construction company Rauta.
According to Bilyk, the top priority for bridges should be to identify the most critical elements of a specific structure and reinforce them, taking into account possible damage scenarios.
Depending on the structural design and operating conditions, various solutions may be applied: protective structures, gabion structures, concrete and other barrier elements, steel protective structures, and so on.
Another approach involves creating pre-detonation screens, which increase the distance between the explosion source and the main structural elements. Such solutions must be designed individually for each structure and should not pose additional risks to the bridge’s operation, the expert notes.
Metal-based solutions are best suited for protecting bridges. These can include lattice steel structures, metal mesh, and cables, or a combination thereof, depending on the bridge’s design and the required distance to the pre-detonation screen,” Ozeychuk clarified. He noted that high strength combined with low weight, along with the modular approach to creating protection from various elements, makes it possible to adapt existing metal products to the specific geometry of bridges, as well as to easily replace or reinforce structures locally.
Equally important is protection against secondary damage factors: fires, fragment damage, and damage to auxiliary systems. It is advisable to protect vulnerable elements of the bridge infrastructure with appropriate non-combustible structures.
As for alternative crossings, according to the expert’s assessment, it is extremely difficult to fully replace the existing city bridges across the Dnipro River with temporary structures. A temporary crossing must be integrated with road and rail infrastructure, have the necessary capacity, and meet safety requirements, explains Bilyk.
In addition, it is noted that a modern bridge is far more than just a means of road traffic. Bridge crossings can accommodate railroad tracks, subway lines, utility lines, pipelines, cables, and other systems. Therefore, a pontoon bridge or other temporary crossing can serve as a backup solution but is not a full-fledged replacement for the developed bridge infrastructure of large cities, according to the website.
As noted in the press release, the strategy should not involve choosing between a bridge and a pontoon, but rather creating a multi-tiered resilience system where a protected main bridge is complemented by rapid restoration capabilities and backup transportation solutions.
BRIDGE, INFRASTRUCTURE, OZEYCHUK, PROTECTION, steel structure, UKRAINE
