CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES OF ENERGY SECURITY AND SECURITY-ORIENTED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

Abstract

In a volatile socio-economic environment, the concept of energy security has acquired a broader meaning, and scholarly literature offers diverse definitions without theoretical unanimity. The issue is especially urgent for Ukraine since the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion, as energy infrastructure has become a target of massed strikes, while limited defense resources make recovery dependent on reorienting the economy towards a security-oriented vector. The purpose of the article is to study Ukraine's energy security and develop the conceptual foundations of energy security and security-oriented economic development, considering current challenges, armed aggression and prospects of post-conflict recovery in the context of European integration. The study is based on theoretical generalization, clarifying the conceptual framework of energy security; analysis and synthesis, examining structural vulnerabilities of Ukraine's energy system; comparative analysis of EU and Ukrainian institutional practices; and structural-functional analysis, revealing the interrelationship between resilience, transformation, and integration. Energy security is defined as protection of vital energy interests from threats, ensuring access to affordable fuel and energy resources under normal and emergency conditions. Ukraine's energy system reveals vulnerabilities — worn-out assets, import dependence, and uneven regional distribution of capacities — amplified by the destruction of critical infrastructure since 2022, including the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Security-oriented development is substantiated as a paradigm built on three dimensions: resilience, prioritizing decentralized generation; transformation, using the crisis as an opportunity to «build back better»; and integration with the EU acquis communautaire. Priority mechanisms include strategic planning, a financing system for the estimated 90.6 billion USD required for recovery, and regulatory reform aligned with EU requirements. This paradigm is the most adequate basis for post-conflict recovery of Ukraine's energy sector. Its practical value lies in applicability by public authorities and international partners for strategic planning and institutional design supporting the energy transition.