UN: in Ukraine, there may be blackouts of up to 18 hours a day in winter

As a result of enemy shelling in Ukraine, key power plants and power transmission facilities were seriously damaged or destroyed. In winter, Ukrainians can expect power outages from 4 to 18 hours a day, some regions may remain without heating, according to the report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UNHRM) published on September 19, reports UNN.

Details

According to the report, between March 22 and August 31, 2024, the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out nine waves of long-range and well-coordinated attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, damaging or destroying numerous electricity generation, transmission and distribution facilities.

Full recovery and elimination of this damage will take years, requiring significant resources from both the state and the private sector.

The UN stressed that the civilian population will likely feel the effects of these attacks for many months or even years to come.

Next winter, when the demand for electricity will increase due to low temperatures, the consequences of these shocks will be exacerbated.

Despite the significant and expensive measures that Ukraine is taking to mitigate the consequences, they are not enough to compensate for the loss of generating capacity this year. The Ukrainian electricity transmission company announced in June that the population is facing a difficult winter with electricity shortages of more than 30% due to a shortage of three to six gigawatts of electricity during peak hours. Experts informed the MMPLU that this shortage can lead to power outages in winter from 4 to 18 hours a day

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The extent to which the civilian population will suffer from the consequences of these attacks during the coming winter depends on several factors, the UN mission said.

Although power companies are working to restore damaged equipment, it is currently unclear how much capacity will be restored before the onset of winter. The extent of power outages will also largely depend on how cold the winter is.

Also, the scale of outages will depend on whether there will be new attacks by the Russian armed forces on the energy infrastructure.

Daily blackouts during the colder months will leave civilians without the electricity they need to heat homes, run water pumps and teach children online. Some areas may remain without heat supply

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It is noted that the assessment of the regions most vulnerable to heat loss showed that the Kharkiv and Sumy regions are most prone to it due to harsh winter conditions, high population density, as well as serious damage to the energy infrastructure.

Donetsk and Kherson regions also face increased risks due to a combination of damage to electricity infrastructure and active hostilities, which significantly limits their ability to prepare for winter conditions.

For reference

MMPLU visited seven power plants and substations damaged or destroyed during attacks in 2024, as well as 28 communities directly affected by Russian strikes. The team held 44 meetings with authorities, 13 with representatives of the private sector and state energy companies, as well as 65 interviews with think tanks, technical specialists, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), employees of educational and medical institutions, and local residents.

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