By Micah Jonah
January 18, 2026
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for urgent acceleration of electricity imports, delivery of power equipment as Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure plunge large parts of the country into its worst wartime blackout.
In a statement on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions were among the hardest hit, with outages worsening after intensified missile and drone strikes on power facilities. He said all necessary decisions to boost imports had already been approved, must now be implemented without delay.
The government has declared an energy emergency, saying the damaged grid is currently meeting only about 60 percent of national electricity demand. Freezing winter temperatures have further strained the system, leaving many households struggling to keep warm.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy network during winter, since the invasion began in February 2022, a strategy Ukrainian officials say is aimed at increasing pressure on civilians, forcing political concessions. International observers, including the United Nations, have warned that children and the elderly are most at risk as outages spread.
NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte said earlier this week that, the attacks were causing severe human suffering, stressed that allied countries remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s defence and recovery efforts.
Zelenskyy said about 400,000 residents in Kharkiv were experiencing serious electricity difficulties – following overnight strikes. Kharkiv Mayor, Ihor Terekhov confirmed that three people were wounded when a critical infrastructure site in the city’s industrial district was hit.
Terekhov said the heating and lighting systems were operating at their limits, that each new strike makes recovery more difficult, then prolongs outages. Authorities also reported that more than 56,000 families in the Bucha area, outside Kyiv were without power after recent attacks.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said most regions are now under electricity restrictions, adding that continuous large scale attacks have forced the declaration of a sector wide emergency.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian negotiators arrived in the United States on Saturday for talks with senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration as Washington pushes for a negotiated end to the war. The delegation is expected to meet US envoy, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and US Army Secretary, Daniel Driscoll.
Zelenskyy said the goal of the visit is to present a full picture of the humanitarian, economic damage caused by ongoing Russian strikes, warning that repeated attacks undermine public confidence in diplomacy, weaken already limited opportunities for dialogue.
Ukraine and the United States have drafted a 20 point peace proposal, but Russia has not responded publicly. Moscow has maintained demands that include territorial concessions and guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has never blocked peace efforts and placed responsibility on international partners to ensure diplomacy continues, while insisting that continued attacks by Russia are the main obstacle to progress.
