Ukraine braces for winter power outages amid Russian attacks
This winter, power outages in Ukraine may last up to 12 hours a day, according to Serhiy Kovalenko, the CEO of the largest energy company, Yasno, in an interview with the Delo.ua portal. Kovalenko believes that the energy deficit may reach up to 35 percent and that the situation will worsen if damaged facilities are not restored following Russian attacks.
Kovalenko emphasised that these are preliminary forecasts, and full plans for the winter period should be prepared by the end of August. He explained that estimates regarding energy consumption, production, and imports will be carried out to develop these plans.
The increase in electricity production should result from the repair of some units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which, according to announcements, are expected to start operating in autumn. Repair works are also ongoing at hydroelectric and thermal power plants.
However, Kovalenko noted that ongoing Russian shelling of energy facilities could change these plans.
Power outages in Ukraine. winter could be difficult
According to Kovalenko, the situation could worsen if damaged facilities are not restored to service following Russian military attacks and if there is no agreement on imports. Much also depends on whether the winter will be mild.
As a result of Russian attacks, several power plants in Ukraine have been destroyed, including Zmiivska near Kharkiv and Trypilska in the Kyiv region. Recently, the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration stated that the power plant in the town of Burshtyn is also beyond reconstruction following Russian shelling.
Russians have also attacked distribution networks in Ukraine. These losses have significantly impacted residents, and the energy sector has imposed enormous restrictions on consumers. According to the operator Ukrenerho, the schedules for power outages in Ukraine will apply on Saturday throughout the day.
