Frost and Shelling: How Kyiv Region Survives Without Electricity and Whether the Energy System Can Withstand.

According to ТСН: In Kyiv region, over 270,000 families are left without electricity. Most of the outages occurred due to natural disasters: ice damaged 220 power lines. Wet snow and ice are toppling trees, complicating the work of energy workers. Moreover, shelling by the Russians forced 90,000 families in the region to wait for the restoration of power supply.

Borscht on the Gas Stove and Life Without an Elevator

Ms. Anastasia pulls the last portion of borscht from the fridge for her five-year-old son Artem.

“The day before the blackout, I cooked a pot of borscht, and we had something to eat; we just needed to reheat it,” the woman recounts.

She had to use the gas stove she bought in advance. Anastasia's apartment, like the entire city of Slavutych, is entirely dependent on electricity. After the Russian shelling, the 20,000-strong city was plunged into darkness. For two days, Slavutych lived on generators, while critical infrastructure received backup power.

Why Is Slavutych and the Left Bank at Risk?

The city of energy workers is not new to attacks. Energy expert Sviatoslav Pavlyk explains:

“Slavutych is also a major hub of the Ukrainian energy system, so a significant part of electricity goes through it. Strikes on Slavutych are effectively strikes on the Chernihiv region. The Chernihiv and Sumy regions have the most hits because, again, they are on the edge of the energy system.”

Before the full-scale invasion, there was enough electricity in the left bank, but the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and damage to thermal power plants changed that situation.

Sviatoslav Pavlyk: “Strikes on these stations, in Slavutych, near Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro, do not allow for the electricity to be rerouted between producers and consumers over long distances.”

Ukrenergo's Forecast for Frosts -17°C

The chairman of the board of PrJSC NEC “Ukrenergo” Vitalii Zaitshenko notes that the system can withstand the load, but difficult times lie ahead:

“If we talk about deficits, then, perhaps, the plus here is that there was a respective task from the government to reduce the number of critical infrastructure facilities that do not shut down, and they will now be switched off.”

He also emphasized that hospitals need backup generators in case of emergencies.

Battery Systems: The Survival Experience of the City

Together with the mayor of Slavutych Yurii Fomichev, journalists visited a school shelter, where a battery system with a 120 kW energy reserve is installed.

Yurii Fomichev: “There were many people charging their gadgets, and all of it worked. If there were no backup systems, we would have spent much more.”

Is It Possible to Completely Protect the System?

The head of energy programs at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future Andrii Prokip emphasizes the importance of decentralization:

“Approaches will be revised not only by us but also in other countries.”

However, as Vitalii Zaitshenko noted, technically it is impossible to close everything:

“They use dozens of kamikaze drones, plus 3-5 rockets of various classes, which lead to significant consequences for energy facilities.”

How to Stop the Shelling

Russian attacks have been ongoing for four years. There are two main ways to force the enemy to stop energy terror:

• additional air defense systems;

• asymmetric strikes on Russia.

The situation in Ukraine's energy sector remains tense, and the consequences of the attacks are felt most acutely in energy-dependent regions. To tackle all challenges, not only technical solutions are needed but also a strategic approach to protecting the energy system. In this context, the actions of the state in defense and support of critical infrastructure are crucial.