Winter and Shelling: Why Light Restoration Takes Longer and Heating is Not Started.

According to ТСН: Winter weather seriously complicates the situation in Ukraine's energy system, which continues to suffer from attacks by Russian troops. The main problems have been blizzards and wet snow, which lead to the disruption of power lines.

Alexander Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center, emphasized this during a briefing.

Severe Weather Conditions

He reported that severe weather conditions on the morning of January 9 caused power outages in approximately a thousand localities, mostly in small villages. Due to the accumulation of wet snow, power lines were damaged, and repair crews found it difficult to reach them due to snowdrifts.

The expert noted that in winter conditions, repair work takes longer, and restoration of electricity supply is only possible after one and a half to two days.

Impact of Frosts

Unpredictable 'allies' of Russian President Vladimir Putin are frosts, which significantly increase energy consumption. Kharchenko also pointed out that additional sudden power outages during the cold are not the biggest problem.

However, frosts become a serious threat in combination with prolonged enemy attacks, especially for residents of buildings with centralized heating. Energy workers cannot start restoring electricity to boiler houses while shelling continues.

“Even if the damage is minor and the boiler can be quickly restarted, people cannot work because the attack is ongoing,” Alexander Kharchenko explained.

He also emphasized that old houses, particularly 'Khrushchyovkas', poorly retain heat. Therefore, after just 6-8 hours without heating during extreme frosts, residents begin to feel cold.

It should be noted that due to the sudden drop in temperature that has engulfed most regions of Ukraine, energy workers are calling for rational electricity consumption, especially during peak load hours in the morning and evening.

Now, in the context of war and severe winter weather conditions, Ukraine's energy infrastructure is facing significant challenges. Consumers are urged to be economical in their electricity use to minimize the risks of outages and ensure the reliability of energy supply during this critical winter period.