STATE REGULATION OF UKRAINE’S ENERGY SECURITY UNDER CONDITIONS OF HYBRID THREATS

Abstract

The article substantiates that energy security is one of the key components of a state’s national economic security and a determining factor of stable socio-economic development. Under conditions of hybrid  threats, the energy sector acquires strategic importance, as it becomes a channel for economic, political, and military pressure on the state. Ensuring the stable functioning of the energy system requires an active  and consistent state policy capable of minimizing the negative impact of external and internal destabilizing factors. It is demonstrated that effective state regulation of energy security is based on the diversification of energy supply sources, modernization of energy infrastructure, and the formation of a balanced energy mix. As a result of implementing such a policy, the state gains the ability to restrain tariff fluctuations, reduce import dependence, and ensure the stable functioning of the national economy under heightened risk conditions. It is noted that the prospects for improving Ukraine’s energy security are constrained not only by the consequences of military actions and the destruction of energy infrastructure, but also by the insufficient effectiveness of existing state regulation mechanisms. Under conditions of rising costs for energy enterprises and increasing tariff pressure on consumers, the search for alternative energy supply sources and the stimulation of investment in renewable energy development become particularly relevant. The article concludes that in the absence of a systematic state policy in the field of energy security, Ukraine risks remaining in a state of permanent energy vulnerability, which negatively affects economic growth and the population’s standard of living. In the long term, ensuring energy  security should be regarded as a priority area of state regulation aimed at strengthening economic sovereignty and adapting the national economy to the conditions of hybrid threats.