Ukraine says energy system under strain as Russia steps up attacks

ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s energy system remains under severe pressure due to continued Russian attacks on its power infrastructure, acting Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said on Wednesday.

Nekrasov told reporters in a briefing that overnight strikes targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region, but stressed that electricity supply to consumers there has been fully restored.

He noted that emergency repair work is ongoing in the Odesa region following massive attacks over the weekend, with around 32,000 subscribers still waiting for power to be reconnected.

According to Nekrasov, systematic shelling by Russia leaves an average of about 400,000 consumers without electricity each day, particularly in border and frontline regions. He said the number of outages fluctuates depending on the intensity of attacks.

“Russia continues to strike power plants as well as transmission and distribution facilities, which complicates and prolongs the recovery process,” Nekrasov said, adding that repair crews are working constantly to keep the system under control.

He urged residents in regions with hourly power cuts to conserve electricity, calling on them to limit the use of high-consumption appliances and, if possible, shift energy-intensive activities to nighttime hours before midnight.

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted since the start of the war – now nearing the four-year mark – prompting rolling blackouts and emergency conservation measures across the country, particularly during periods of intensified strikes on power generation and grid facilities.