Kyiv faces toughest energy crisis as Russia strikes power grid daily

Russian forces are attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure daily, including facilities already repaired after previous strikes, according to Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi. He stated that Kyiv is facing one of the most difficult situations and ordered accelerated construction of distributed generation. Following an anti-crisis energy staff meeting on October 16, Koretskyi said Russia targets thermal power plants, hydroelectric stations, combined heat and power plants, and key substations nationwide. He issued instructions to stabilize the capital's situation and catch up on distributed generation construction. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on October 16 that Russia has adopted new tactics, massively damaging power poles and cutting transmission lines. Since mid-April 2026, Ukraine's energy system operated without consumer restrictions, but October brought outages in regions Russia is trying to isolate, with emergency blackouts and voltage drops affecting Kyiv's water supply and electric transport.