The Ukrainian energy system demonstrates significantly higher readiness for potential blackouts caused by shelling from the Russian Federation than it did in 2022. This was stated by the Chairman of the Board of NEC “Ukrenergo,” Vitaliy Zaychenko, during a broadcast of the Unified Telethon.
This is reported by Finway
Strengthening Protection and Rapid Recovery
According to the head, the worst-case scenario—a complete blackout—was already experienced in the fall of 2022. Since then, both “Ukrenergo” and Ukrainian generation have significantly enhanced their preparedness for similar situations. Zaychenko emphasized that the main goal of the aggressor is to leave Ukraine without electricity and water, but now the country is much better prepared for such challenges.
“We have already gone through the worst-case scenario and know what it is like. The goal of the aggressor is to completely de-energize the energy system, leading it to a blackout. This happened in 2022, but we managed to cope quite quickly, although, of course, no one was prepared for such massive attacks. At the moment, the goal of the Russian Federation is the same—to leave Ukraine without light and water, but we are more prepared. Both ‘Ukrenergo’ and the power plants,” said Zaychenko.
He emphasized that thanks to the implementation of engineering protection, strengthening air defense, and well-coordinated actions by the personnel, it is possible to prevent the loss of stability in the energy system. The priority remains the preservation of the system itself, after which electricity supply to consumers is restored.
The Situation in Frontline Regions
Recently, Ukrainians have observed a significant decrease in the number of power outages. Zaychenko explained this not as a coincidence, but as a result of the dedicated work of energy workers and the availability of a large stock of equipment thanks to support from partners. This allows for the prompt elimination of damage after attacks.
At the same time, the most difficult situation remains in the frontline and border regions with Russia—Sumy, Poltava, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. These regions suffer the most from missile and drone attacks, and repair crews work under extremely challenging conditions.