Ukraine faces possible daily 5-hour power cuts in July–August if Russian attacks continue, Ukrenergo says
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Ukraine could face emergency power outages of up to five hours per day in July and August, Vitaliy Zaichenko, CEO of state grid operator Ukrenergo, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine published on June 25.
Ukraine's power grid has faced recurring strain during summer months due to higher demand and damage from Russian attacks. The system enters the summer of 2026 after a harsh winter, during which thousands of homes across the country experienced prolonged power and heating outages as a result of Russian strikes.
The risk would emerge if high temperatures persist for at least a week while Russia resumes mass strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Zaichenko said.
"We understand that we will meet daytime demand through nuclear power, imports, distributed generation, and renewable energy, but unfortunately, we will have to rely on consumers to balance evening peaks," Zaichenko said.
Zaichenko said the improved outlook stemmed from the expansion of distributed generation, the construction of new power facilities with enhanced protection measures, and stronger defenses for substations operated by Ukrenergo and regional electricity providers.
"Outages are possible, but they will not be as severe as they were during the winter," Zaichenko said.
The statement comes as Russia continues to target Ukraine's energy sector. In recent months, Ukrainian officials have also warned that Moscow could expand attacks beyond the power grid to other critical utilities, including water supply systems.
At the same time, Ukrenergo said on June 25 emergency power outages were introduced for all categories of consumers in some districts of Kyiv due to a "technical malfunction" at one of the power facilities.
The agency did not specify whether the malfunction was related to excessive load on the power grid.
"Emergency repair work has already begun. Power engineers are doing everything possible to restore the damaged equipment to operation as quickly as possible," the statement said.
