Ukraine braces for renewed winter blackouts amid Russian strikes
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Ukraine warns of looming winter blackouts after Russia's largest aerial assault of the war damaged energy infrastructure and set a government building in Kiev ablaze.
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Crows fly above multi-storey apartment buildings during a blackout in Kiev, Ukraine, Friday Nov. 29, 2024 (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainian officials and energy providers are warning citizens to prepare for extended power outages this autumn and winter as Russia intensifies its campaign against the country's energy grid and government facilities.
Sergiy Kovalenko, chief executive of the Yasno energy company, told AFP on Monday that the situation remains precarious. "Of course, no one knows what will happen this autumn, but given the recent shelling, there is no particular cause for optimism," he said. He advised Ukrainians to ready themselves for possible prolonged outages by stocking "power banks and flashlights."
The warning came a day after Russia launched its largest aerial barrage of the war, firing at least 810 drones and 13 missiles in an overnight assault that killed four people and ignited Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers complex in Kiev for the first time since the conflict began. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Washington for a "strong response," stressing that "international solidarity" was essential to withstand Moscow's escalation.
Ukraine's energy ministry confirmed on Monday that a power station in the Kiev region sustained "massive shelling," while Sumyoblenergo, the regional operator in the northeast, reported damage to "critical infrastructure" in the Sumy region. These strikes compound a broader pattern: since 2022, Russia has routinely targeted Ukraine's electricity grid, plunging millions into rolling blackouts during past winters.
While Moscow insists it is striking only military or logistical sites, government and civilian infrastructure in Kiev and beyond has repeatedly been damaged by falling debris or direct hits. On the battlefield, Ukraine has expanded cross-border drone operations into Russian regions such as Belgorod, Voronezh, and Krasnodar, with Kiev portraying these missions as retaliation for the bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it downed 69 Ukrainian UAVs overnight and accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilians, particularly in Belgorod.
As the energy sector braces for winter disruptions, peace talks remain stalled. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated demands for recognition of occupied territories, while Ukrainian officials reject any settlement that legitimizes Moscow's territorial gains. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga urged partners to impose "severe new sanctions" to "sober Moscow up."
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