Rolling power cuts leave homes in Kyiv without electricity for up to 20 hours a day as Russian strikes batter energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
Single mother Daryna Kulchytska walks through the dark flat on the seventh floor with her two children, wrapping in heavy coats as temperatures drop. The rolling schedule of planned power outages began in October, arriving earlier and lasting longer than previous winters.
Officials warn that life will quickly become unsustainable if power supplies cannot be maintained for at least four hours daily, though some families already face deeper deficits.
“The last few days it was only four or five hours we had power, but it’s not at the same times,” Kulchytska told the BBC. Her twelve-year-old son Kyryll notes the toll on daily routines. “There’s no light, no water, no heat, no electricity,” he told the BBC. “And no fun.”
⚡️Russia attacks Kyiv with ballistic missiles hours after peace talks end. Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported multiple explosions in the city around 1 a.m., shortly after the Air Force warned that missiles were targeting the capital.https://t.co/hUf3OSqmch
Massive Infrastructure Damage
Russia launched 172 long-range attack drones and 36 ballistic missiles overnight on Nov. 7, The Kyiv Independent reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 149 drones and four missiles, but impacts hit substations connecting western nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central regions, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Visits to a major power station revealed severe structural ruin following a ballistic missile strike. The facility is reduced to twisted metal and broken pipes, its turbines buried in rubble. Volodymyr Kovalenko, a worker at the plant, described the impact. “It was a very powerful attack,” Kovalenko told the BBC. “We’d never experienced anything like it.”
Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Repair and rescue operations are underway in the affected regions wherever the security situation allows. In total, the Russians used 172 drones and 36 ballistic… pic.twitter.com/tWWK0Vs9K7
Repairs Under Air Raids
Repair crews face air raid sirens every 15 to 30 minutes, forcing workers to take cover in foundations and shelters. A worker at the damaged plant described the difficulty. “It’s emotionally difficult, because we’ve already repaired all this, got it running again, and now it’s happened all over again,” the worker told the BBC.
Russia has doubled the power and scale of attacks compared to last year, according to a statement attributed to energy officials. Rebuilding the destroyed power station will take at least until next summer due to limited productive hours under sustained bombardment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ukraine Blackouts
Why are the power cuts lasting longer this year?
Energy officials report that Russian strikes have damaged every power plant in Ukraine in some capacity. Attacks on substations and transmission lines have reduced generating and distribution capacity compared to previous winters.
What weapons are complicating repair efforts?
Along with ballistic missiles, including North Korean-made KN-23 variants identified by Ukrainian experts, Russian forces use drones that cling to pylons and cables until detonated. This ongoing aerial threat forces repair crews to halt work and seek shelter multiple times per hour.
❗️ Trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi have concluded The main takeaway from Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation: “An abscess has burst in Ukraine.” Ladies and gentlemen, it turns out we haven't been dealing with a historian all this… pic.twitter.com/Ij2ocqG5VE
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⚡️️ Russia strikes 6 major power substations, causing outages across Ukraine. Substations were hit in Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. Power lines were also damaged in Kirovohrad and Rivne oblasts, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.…
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