Ukraine faces major electricity production deficit after Russia’s mass attack on Jan. 14

Ukraine’s energy system is facing a “huge” power generation deficit following Russia’s Jan. 14 mass attack, Serhiy Kovalenko, the CEO of energy supplier Yasno, said on Jan. 15.

There has been significant damage to Ukraine’s thermal energy generation, he said.

While he did not provide details, Kovalenko said Ukraine’s state grid operator has decided to significantly limit energy consumption across Ukraine, including in Kyiv.

“It is still too early to forecast the period for a repair,” he said. “All power engineers are working to restore production, but you need to be prepared that power outages can be long-term.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Kyiv and Kharkiv oblasts have been the most impacted by Russia’s mass attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Jan. 14.

“Repair crews are doing everything possible to restore electricity generation and supply as soon as possible, and work will continue around the clock,” Zelensky said.

According to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, energy infrastructure was hit in six Ukrainian oblasts as Russia unleashed its 10th mass missile attack across Ukraine in the afternoon of Jan. 14. They include facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Vinnytsia oblasts, according to the minister.

The attack caused emergency power outages in most of Ukraine's regions, Halushchenko said. At least five people were killed in the city of Dnipro.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK reported that the attack hit two of its thermal power plants, one of which "stopped producing electricity."

DTEK did not specify the locations of its facilities but said they had previously been hit multiple times. There were no casualties at the sites, DTEK added.

According to DTEK, Jan. 14 marks Russia's 26th attack on its energy facilities.

Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's critical infrastructure with hundreds of missiles and drones since Oct. 10, killing dozens of civilians and severely damaging the country's energy system.

Russia admitted that Ukraine's energy infrastructure is among its primary targets. According to the Geneva Conventions, targeting vital public infrastructure constitutes a war crime.