On the night of May 14, Russian troops carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, focusing on the energy sector. According to the energy system operator, as a result, a significant number of consumers were left without electricity in various regions of the country, including Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions, and the capital.
This is reported by Finway
“As a result, in the morning, there are consumers without power in Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions, and the city of Kyiv.”
Immediately after the attack, emergency recovery operations began in all affected regions as soon as it was possible given the security situation. Energy workers are making every effort to restore electricity supply as quickly as possible.
Decrease in consumption and recommendations for the public
The energy system operator reports a decrease in energy consumption: on the morning of May 14, it was 5.1% lower compared to the previous day. This trend is mainly explained by clear weather, which facilitated the effective operation of household solar power plants, reducing the load on the overall grid. At the same time, the company recommends that citizens shift the use of powerful electrical appliances to daytime hours from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and in the evening hours, limit electricity consumption if possible.
Additional problems due to bad weather and the situation in Kyiv
In addition to enemy attacks, by Thursday morning, bad weather – thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind – caused power outages in more than 50 settlements in Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions. Emergency crews are working to restore damaged networks.
In Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, due to an air attack on the left bank of the city, there are disruptions in water supply.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The shelling became particularly intense from the fall of 2025, resulting in scheduled power outages in many regions. With the arrival of spring and the increase in generation from solar power plants, restrictions were gradually eased.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized on March 24 that Russian forces continue attempts to break the country’s energy system.
The Security Service of Ukraine qualifies attacks on energy infrastructure as crimes against humanity.
In February 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Russia allegedly had not initiated attacks on civilian facilities, accusing Ukraine of being the first to attack Russia’s energy facilities.