Kyiv has switched to temporary electricity supply schedules as of Thursday, energy provider DTEK said, as the capital faces a severe power shortage following continued damage to the energy system.
The company said engineers had stabilized the grid enough to introduce schedules based on the limited electricity available, instead of relying only on emergency outages, despite what it described as a “critical electricity deficit.”
How the old system worked
Under the standard blackout system, Kyiv was divided into fixed outage groups, and each building was assigned to a specific group. Residents could check online schedules in advance to see when electricity would be switched on or off.
In recent weeks, that system has largely stopped working as the energy situation worsened. Heavy damage and electricity shortages have forced operators to abandon the regular schedules, with power cutting in and out unpredictably - and remaining off most of the time - as emergency measures replaced planned outages.
New schedules vary by building
DTEK said the new temporary schedules will differ by neighborhood and even by individual building, depending on the extent and location of damage to the grid. The company stressed that the new system is not tied to the familiar outage groups used earlier in the winter.
Residents will be able to check their building’s individual schedule through DTEK’s chatbot and website, though the company warned of possible delays due to heavy traffic. DTEK said the schedules may be adjusted during the first days as operators fine-tune the system.
DTEK said the temporary schedules are intended to give residents “at least a small basis for planning their day” after weeks of unpredictable power cuts across the capital.
The company said engineers are introducing the new system as quickly as possible, even as the overall situation remains unstable and subject to rapid change.
Further strikes could undo progress
At the same time, DTEK warned that renewed Russian attacks on energy infrastructure or a sharp drop in temperatures - as is forecast for the next week - could force Kyiv back into emergency shutdowns with little or no advance notice.
If generation and grid conditions improve, the company said the city could return to the standard blackout schedules used earlier, with fixed groups and clearer timeframes.
