The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian shelling of power lines left the plant connected to only one line, the Energy Ministry reported on Nov 21.
Greenpeace has warned that Ukraine’s power grid faces a "heightened risk of catastrophic failure" after a mass missile and drone attack on Nov. 17 targeted electrical substations essential for nuclear power plants, the Guardian reported on Nov. 20.
Russia targeted thermal power plants during a mass strike on the country's power grid on Nov. 17, dealing "serious damage," said the country's largest private energy company, DTEK.
The blackouts began as the Air Force issued a nationwide aerial alert after Russia launched MiG-31K jets, which are capable of carrying Kinzhal ballistic missiles.
The denial comes a day after the Financial Times reported that Ukraine and Russia are resuming discussions about halting the strikes on each other's energy infrastructure after the talks abruptly ended in August following Ukraine's Kursk incursion.
If Russia continues its onslaught of attacks against critical energy infrastructure as it did in 2023, then Ukrainians may face up to eight hours of power outages on the most "critical" days, Brekht said.
The new limit will take effect on Dec. 1, 2024, and operators will be able to review it monthly starting in March 2025.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported on the morning of Oct. 19 that over 73,000 consumers in three oblasts were left without electricity due to Russia's recent attacks.
Ukraine's state-owned energy company Ukrenergo said later during the day that the outages were caused by unspecified "technical reasons" and that the repairs are underway. The energy supply should resume "within hours."
"With the start of the 'heating season,' we can expect massive Russian strikes on the energy sector," said Oleksandr Lytvynenko, National Security and Defense Council Secretary.
Ukraine is set to face its toughest winter since the start of the full-scale invasion as Russia eyes cutting off its nuclear power after already bombing out capacity from half of its electricity generation sector in large-scale air strikes. For now, Russia is not directly striking the plants with missiles
According to the IEA report, Ukraine's electricity shortage could reach 6 GW this winter, which is about one-third of the expected peak demand.
Germany's natural gas storage facilities are full, and all goals have been met, according to German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Kyiv on Sept. 20 to discuss Ukraine's energy needs with President Volodymyr Zelensky, she said on Sept. 19.
The measures recommended by the IEA include "bolstering the physical and cyber security of critical energy infrastructure, expediting the delivery of equipment and spare parts for repairs, (and) accelerating the decentralization of power supply," according to a press release sent to the Kyiv Independent.
Negotiations are underway between Azerbaijan and the EU, Moscow, and Kyiv on supplying natural gas to Europe via Ukraine, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sept. 6 at the Cernobbio Forum in Italy
The controversial decision to dismiss the head of Ukraine’s state-owned energy grid operator has prompted resignations from two independent members of the company’s supervisory board and raised concerns from partners abroad. Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who served as head of Ukrenergo since 2020, was dismissed on Sept. 2 on the
Via a post on Ukrenergo's Telegram account, Chairman of the supervisory board Daniel Dobenni, and supervisory board member Peder Andreasen, also said they were stepping down from their positions in protest of what they described as a "politically motivated" decision.
The head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, was dismissed from his role on Sept. 2 on grounds of failing to safeguard energy facilities amid intensified Russian attacks, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing sources within the company.
The head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, may face dismissal "in the near future," Economic Pravda reported on Aug. 30, citing unnamed government sources and energy company contacts.
Four nuclear power units at two different power plans were disconnected during Russia's mass aerial strike on Ukraine on Aug. 26, the Presidential Office head, Andriy Yermak, said on Aug. 29.
The news come a day after Russia's largest drone and missile attack against Ukraine since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion. The strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including a dam in Kyiv that is part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant.
"Exports will take place only during periods of surplus, when solar power plants are actively operating. Electricity will not be exported from Ukraine during periods of maximum consumption, when there is not enough capacity in the power system," the state grid operator Ukrenergo said.
Ukraine's government has approved a plan that aims to increase the share of renewable energy in overall power consumption to 27% over the next six years, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Aug. 13.
Ukraine and Russia will not be able to completely destroy each other's energy systems, as both have an extensive Soviet energy system, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told the TSN news program.
In the long run, the Ukrainian government will decide how to generate electricity on its own, but building up nuclear power is a rational quick solution, Penny Pritzker, U.S. special representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, said.
Yurii Boiko said that the amount of electricity generated in the system increased due to decreases in weather temperatures and the restoration of some energy-generating facilities.
By October, DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, plans to restore 60-70% of the power generation it lost as a result of Russia’s mass shelling this spring, according to DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk.
Representatives of Ukraine's state energy grid operator, Ukrenergo, and the KfW Development Bank signed an agreement worth 100 million euros (nearly $110 million) for energy projects, Ukrenergo announced on July 19.
The humanitarian aid includes more than 300 pieces of equipment, including equipment from the Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant, or the Vilnius Power Plant-3, according to the ministry.
The record-breaking heat wave that has engulfed Ukraine is expected to continue at least through the rest of the following week, with the maximums to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (over 104 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Russian strikes damaged more than half of the city's generating capacity, Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration said.
(Updated: )
