By Micah Jonah
January 24, 2026
Ukraine’s electricity supply has deteriorated sharply following renewed Russian air attacks on key power facilities, forcing emergency blackouts across most parts of the country, the national grid operator has confirmed.
Ukraine’s grid company, Ukrenergo, said the energy system is now operating under extreme strain due to earlier damage to transmission lines and generating units, which has pushed equipment beyond safe operating limits.
The warning followed remarks by Prime Minister and Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, who described the current situation as the most difficult the country has faced since the nationwide blackout recorded in November 2022, when large scale attacks on the grid first began.
Shmyhal said on Friday that although the power system remains under heavy pressure, authorities are working towards gradual stabilization. He added that emergency shutdowns may soon give way to scheduled hourly outages if repair efforts continue to progress.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified missile and drone strikes, hitting already weakened energy facilities and leaving millions of residents without electricity and heating during freezing winter conditions. Several power plants are now undergoing urgent repairs, according to Ukrenergo.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said repair teams are working round the clock to restore heat and electricity, particularly in Kyiv where many residential buildings remain without heating. Northern and southeastern regions are also experiencing widespread disruptions.
He said the maximum number of technical crews and emergency equipment have been deployed to support affected communities and prevent further humanitarian suffering.
Ukraine’s energy grid now depends largely on nuclear power plants after losing about half of its total generating capacity since the start of the war. Damage to transmission infrastructure has made it difficult to distribute available electricity evenly across the country.
International support is also being mobilized. The European Commission announced plans to deliver hundreds of emergency generators to help power hospitals, shelters and essential services after Ukraine declared an energy emergency last week.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have begun another round of talks in Abu Dhabi under United States mediation, as diplomatic efforts continue to seek an end to nearly four years of conflict.
Ukrenergo said it hopes that ongoing repairs will be completed in the near future, allowing the country to return to planned power rationing instead of sudden emergency blackouts, but warned that stability remains fragile as long as attacks continue.
The worsening power crisis adds to Ukraine’s mounting civilian challenges, with winter cold, damaged infrastructure and ongoing security threats placing heavy pressure on both government resources and public resilience.
