Emergency power cuts spread across Ukrainian regions as Moscow's fourth consecutive year of cold-weather infrastructure targeting forces millions to brace for months of intermittent electricity.
Ukraine faces another winter under siege as Russian strikes force rolling blackouts across the country, echoing the outages that lasted up to 12 hours daily in some cities during 2023 and 2024.
An overnight attack on 16 October, which deployed around 300 drones and more than 30 missiles, is Moscow's latest assault in a systematic campaign that had already destroyed 60% of Ukraine's gas production capacity just weeks before the heating season begins.
Ukraine rations electricity as grid struggles to meet demand
Ukraine now faces a nationwide energy deficit. Ukrenergo, the national grid operator, has introduced consumption limits for industrial users, scheduled rolling blackouts for households, and emergency cuts during demand surges.
Across all regions, Ukrenergo has power restriction schedules to stabilize the grid. Parts of Chernihiv Oblast are already subject to hourly outages.
The situation remains fluid, with officials urging the public to use energy economically to reduce the likelihood or duration of outages.
Fourth winter of energy warfare intensifies targeting
Russia has stepped up its strikes in October, carrying out at least six attacks on gas facilities this month and launching a record 26 ballistic missiles on 16 October. The pattern follows earlier winters, when Moscow used similar tactics to weaken Ukraine’s power system.
On 10 October, Russian strikes plunged more than 5,800 buildings in Kyiv into darkness and left 7,000 without water. Five days later, emergency cuts swept seven regions during morning hours.
The UK warned at the OSCE on 16 October that Russia's strikes risk leaving Ukrainians “freezing to death in their own homes,” citing October's largest coordinated strike involving 35 missiles and 60 drones against gas facilities in Kharkiv and Poltava.
Ukraine’s gas production a new target
The 3 October attack, which Russia launched with its biggest-ever barrage against gas infrastructure, forced Kyiv to plan nearly €2 billion in emergency gas imports to heat millions of homes.
The attacks on gas production represent a strategic shift from previous winters. While Russia concentrated on crippling Ukraine's electric power grid during the first three years of the war, Moscow has turned its attention to gas production and storage capabilities since the contract to ship Russian gas to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines ended on January 1, 2025.
