A full-scale war has become an unprecedented challenge for the employees of the Donetskteplokomunenergo and its separate units. In a region that suffers from shelling every day, they do their job every day.

Work in front-line cities — such as Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka — has turned into a daily combat sortie, where each start-up of the boiler house is a challenge to war. 5 employees of the enterprise have died, 5 employees have been injured to varying degrees. More than 20 units of the enterprise's special equipment (emergency vehicles, water tankers, repair cars) have been destroyed, and dozens of boiler houses and heating mains have been seriously damaged.

These are repairs to the sound of explosions: Emergency crews go to eliminate the bursts immediately after the shelling. They weld the heating mains torn by shrapnel in icy water and at sub-zero temperatures, often risking repeated enemy strikes.

In conditions of large-scale damage to power grids and prolonged power outages, drivers and engineers manually restart systems and keep boiler rooms running on generators for hours.

The company's drivers make regular flights under constant threat of FPV drone attacks, delivering scarce fuel for alternative power sources and materials for urgent repairs.

During peak loads during the heating seasons, specialists stay at the facilities for weeks. They monitor the pressure and temperature of coolants to prevent freezing and destruction of city communications.

And this is also a search for non-standard engineering solutions. Despite the critical shortage of specific components due to the destruction of logistics chains, the company's employees find ways to modernize and maintain the operability of Soviet and new systems.

Due to hostilities, there were repeated interruptions in water and electricity supply. In communities where water was absent for several days, water was organized to operate the boiler rooms. During long power outages, they ensured the delivery of diesel fuel for generators, independently carried out their repair and maintenance, preventing boiler rooms from stopping.

The team demonstrated a special display of courage in February 2026 during emergency and restoration work to localize damage to a strategically important main gas pipeline. Despite the risk to their lives, the company's employees performed the necessary work and made a significant contribution to restoring stable heat supply to the settlements of the region.

This is not only the conscientious performance of professional duties, but also an example of selflessness, responsibility and service to the people. It is precisely such actions that are a manifestation of the Greatness of Ukraine, because they demonstrate the indomitability, resilience and willingness of Ukrainians to work for the preservation of life and well-being of communities even in the most difficult conditions of war.

War is not only a front. It is also a rear, where people continue to do their job, no matter what. The team of production units of Donetskteplokomunenergo is an example of how even in the most difficult times our cities live, fight, and hold on.

The activities of employees of separate divisions of OKP "DTKE" are directly related to preserving the life and health of the population in wartime. Uninterrupted heat supply ensured the proper temperature regime in hospitals, outpatient clinics, social protection institutions and residential buildings, which is especially important in the winter period. Stable operation of boiler houses allowed medical institutions to provide assistance to patients without the risk of stopping the treatment process. Thanks to the dedicated work of the team, it was possible to prevent hypothermia of people, reduce the risk of diseases and maintain proper sanitary and hygienic conditions. Despite the hostilities, the enterprise passed the heating periods from 2014 to 2026 without interruptions in heat supply and without cases of defrosting of systems, which became an important factor in preserving the health, psychological stability and social well-being of residents of the Donetsk region.

The face of this phenomenon is the staff of OKP "DTKE" - workers of emergency and restoration teams, drivers, fitters, electricians, boiler operators, chemical water treatment plant operators, electric and gas welders, engineers and dispatchers, who ensured the continuous operation of heat supply systems in wartime. It was their selfless work, professionalism and courage that allowed the heating seasons to pass without stops and defrosting of heating networks. Behind them stands a close-knit team of the enterprise, many years of experience of heat workers of the Donetsk region and a shared responsibility for the safety and well-being of the region's residents.