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.
Norway has increased its total support for Ukraine’s energy sector to 3 billion kroner (around $274.2 million) as part of its broader aid plan, according to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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
NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Oct. 8 that Ukraine may be facing its most challenging winter since the start of the full-scale invasion, as the country prepares for more Russian attacks against energy infrastructure.
For the first time since the full-scale invasion, Russia launched drone attacks on cities and towns across Ukraine on a daily basis for an entire month. According to Ukraine's Air Force, 1,339 Shahed-type kamikaze drones targeted the country in September, 1,107 of which were shot down, with some
Ukraine is in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to place foreign observers near its nuclear power plants amid reports Russia is planning to attack the infrastructure connecting the plants to the country's energy grid, an Energy Ministry official said.
The announcement came on Oct. 2 as USAID chief Samantha Power arrived in Kyiv, marking her third visit to Ukraine since 2020.
Key developments on Sept. 26: * US announces nearly $8 billion military aid package for Ukraine * Germany approves additional $447 million for military aid to Ukraine * Ukraine's 72nd Brigade releases video from Vuhledar, denies claims about withdrawal * 3 energy infrastructure facilities struck in overnight Russian strikes, Ukrainian PM says * Ukraine considers
An overnight Russian drone and missile strike targeted three Ukrainian energy transmission facilities, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 26. "But the Russian terrorists did not achieve their goals — Ukraine's energy system is operating in a balanced mode, no power cuts are planned," he added in a post on
Russia destroyed all thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Russia launched nine coordinated attacks against Ukraine's electricity infrastructure between March and August, striking facilities in 20 oblasts.
President Zelensky thanked Japan for preparing a "new energy assistance package" for Ukraine during his meeting with the prime minister on Sept. 23.
Danish Energy Minister Lars Aagaard announced new financial assistance for Ukraine on Sept. 23 in New York during a meeting within the G7 working group on Ukraine's energy security.
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.
"Russia must pay for the destruction it caused," von der Leyen said.
Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused a sharp rise in Ukrainians citing blackouts as a reason for leaving the country over the summer, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said in a report published on Sept. 19.
Russia is once again planning a "winter war with the aim of making the lives of people in Ukraine as terrible as possible," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.
Further Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid could lead to a dangerous situation at one of Ukraine's three remaining operational nuclear power plants, Bloomberg reports.
The U.S. will provide $700 million in humanitarian aid, supporting displaced Ukrainians, the energy grid, and demining, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in Kyiv on Sept. 11.
The U.K. announced a new 600-million-pound ($781 million) aid package for Ukraine on Sept. 11, as U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Kyiv together with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The Kyiv Independent’s Natalia Yermak interviews Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and business advisor, Daniel Bilak, about the potential for investment in Ukraine and its defense sector.
Ahead of the coming winter, Ukraine has protected 85% of its energy infrastructure in anticipation of further Russian attacks, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a Sept. 10 press conference attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.
"This is critical for Ukraine's energy security and the confidence of international partners," the statement read.
"But we understand that the enemy will not give us the luxury of living in peace," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "We already have intelligence that the next mass missile and drone strikes on our power system are already being prepared."
The greatest risk facing Ukraine and the West today isn’t the nuclear war predicted by headlines. Instead, the real dangers are Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis, the influx of refugees, the spread of nuclear weapons, the risk of a larger European war, state-sponsored terror, and disinformation. Most concerning is the
The denial came after Oleksandr Kharchenko, managing director of the Energy Industry Research Center, said in a post on Facebook there had been an accident at the plant, citing "two independent sources."
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.
Ukraine is set to receive $800 million from the U.S. to help stabilize its severely damaged energy infrastructure, Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, announced during her visit to Washington on Aug. 31.
The Kyiv dam is not under threat of breaching following a recent Russian attack on Kyiv Oblast, Ihor Syrota, the director of the state-owned Ukrhydroenergo hydroelectric energy company, said on Aug. 28.
According to Energoatom, the plant will be equipped with AP1000 reactors built by U.S. company Westinghouse.
Norway's energy sector is under threat of sabotage from Russia, Norwegian security chief Beate Gangaas told Reuters on Aug. 27, as European security services briefed Norwegian energy officials on potential Russian threats.
"Yesterday, Russia attacked our power distribution substations with missiles for the first time. The facilities were targeted by tens of cluster missiles, but we lost a relatively small amount of equipment during that attack. All due to the (heightened) protection of the facilities," said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
