Ukraine hit by power cuts after Russian strikes, operator says

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure cause outages across multiple regions as Moscow intensifies attacks on Kyiv

Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have caused power cuts in several regions, the country’s grid operator Ukrenergo said on Thursday, urging consumers to limit their electricity usage.

Moscow’s forces also hit a school in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russia increases strikes on the capital while Ukraine braces for another winter of war. Children and teachers were in a shelter at the time of the attack, Kyiv said, reporting no casualties.

“Russian scumbags continue attacking life across our country, Ukrainian children and our schools,” Zelenskyy said, publishing footage of the building with blown-out windows.

Widespread outages

Recent attacks have caused outages from the Kharkiv region in the east, Chernihiv and Sumy in the north, to Rivne in the northwest and Kirovohrad in central Ukraine, Ukrenergo said.

“Where security conditions currently allow, emergency repair and restoration work is already under way,” a statement from the operator read.

“Energy workers are doing everything possible to restore power to all disconnected consumers as quickly as possible.”

The cuts come after Russia said on Wednesday that it deliberately targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in the capital, Kyiv, and the nearby region.

Kyiv described the strikes as Moscow’s opening salvo in an expected campaign to try to knock out heating and power as winter approaches.

Fears of a harsh winter

A recent increase in strikes has prompted fears of another winter with little or no power or heating, after similar attacks last year when temperatures plunged to -20C.

Some emergency power outages were implemented in Kyiv on Wednesday night.

Ukrenergo urged domestic consumers to switch “intensive energy use” to daytime hours, and said “economical” use was needed in some areas in the evening.

Hourly power outages and capacity limits for industrial consumers were not currently being implemented, it added.

But the operator still urged a reduction in use at night, particularly in Kyiv and the surrounding regions.

Strategic targeting

The attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid appear to be part of a deliberate strategy to demoralise the civilian population and disrupt essential services as winter sets in. Last year’s campaign left millions of Ukrainians without reliable access to electricity and heating for extended periods, prompting international condemnation.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on Western allies to provide additional air defence systems to protect critical infrastructure. The recent strikes have renewed those appeals, with Kyiv warning that without strengthened air defences, the coming winter could be even more devastating than the last.