Emergency power cuts have been introduced again in Ukraine, the Strana weekly reported citing data from national company Ukrenergo.
Jerrymusa.com reports that power outages began at 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT), although the affected regions were not specified. Over the past two days, all Ukrainian regions have experienced blackouts.
However, Ukrenergo planned to implement rolling blackouts, cutting power at scheduled times. Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of Yasno (a subsidiary of DTEK, Ukraine’s largest energy holding), warned that Thursday evening might see unscheduled blackouts.
Ukraine’s Energy Crisis
DTEK described the energy sector’s situation as difficult, with stabilization blackouts imposed in Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, and Odessa regions since 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT). Ukraine’s Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, declared the country in the midst of an energy crisis.
Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, specified that the Kanevskaya HPP, Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, and Zmiyevskaya TPP were damaged. The Energy Ministry reported the complete destruction of the Tripolskaya TPP, the largest power-generating facility in the Kiev Region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba stated that over half of the country’s energy system has been damaged. Authorities urge citizens to conserve energy, while Ukrenergo imports record amounts of electricity from Europe.