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By Mandy Taheri
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Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, said widespread power outages hit parts of the country because of technical malfunctions, amid frigid winter weather conditions and a battered electric grid from a nearly four-year-long war with Russia.
Why It Matters
The power cut off comes as temperatures are in the single digits across the country amid a brutal winter. While this is a technical issue, Russia and Ukraine have previously targeted each other’s energy infrastructure, especially in the fall and winter, to strain the other’s supplies during the season’s cold.
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Ukraine’s State Emergency service said this winter is one of the coldest, with temperatures forecast to drop to -22 degrees Fahrenheit next week, per the Associated Press (AP).
Russian President Vladimir Putin led a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was launched years after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, and while President Donald Trump has pledged to resolve the conflict, fighting continues.
What To Know
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in an X post that officials reported “the emergency situation in Ukraine’s power system caused by technical issues on the interconnection lines between our grid and Moldova.”
Shmyhal said that the technical failure “caused a cascading outage in Ukraine’s power grid,” the AP reported.
The AP reported water supplies have also been cut to Kyiv, and online media reports show people being rescued from stalled subway cars.
In a Saturday evening update, Zelensky said in an X post, "As of now, there is no confirmation of external interference or a cyberattack. Most indications point to weather: ice buildup on the lines and automatic shutdowns." He also noted that repair teams "largely restored the pre-incident situation, and stabilization and restoration of services for the population are now ongoing."
In neighboring Moldova, energy minister Dorin Junghietu said in a Facebook post, “Due to the loss of power lines on the territory of Ukraine, the automatic protection system was triggered, which disconnected the electricity supply. I encourage the population to stay calm until electricity is restored.” In a recent update, he said consumers have been connected to low-voltage power networks, as well as transport infrastructure.
The outage comes after repeated Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector, which has had blackouts and power shortages during the war.
Trump said during a Thursday Cabinet meeting that he “personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this...extraordinary cold." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that Trump “made a personal request” to Putin to stop targeting the Ukrainian capital until Sunday “in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations," the AP reported.
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What People Are Saying
People's Deputy of Ukraine, Kira Rudik, wrote in Saturday X post: “So it happened. Our energy system was hanging by a thread — and now it’s gone. Ukraine is in a massive blackout.”
World Central Kitchen, which has been operating in Ukraine throughout the war, wrote in a Friday X post: "Amid the ongoing energy crisis in Kyiv, many Ukrainians are unable to leave their homes to access hot meals, warm drinks, and basic necessities. For these neighbors, door-to-door food delivery is a lifeline—especially for seniors and people with limited mobility, for whom this is often the only way to receive support. Andrii is one of them. Like many others, he now depends on WCK meals brought to his door by social service workers."
President Donald Trump said at the World Economic Forum in January: "I think Russia wants to make a deal; I think Ukraine wants to make a deal. And we're going to try getting a deal done...I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid. That goes for both of them. And I know they're not stupid. But if they don't get this done, they are stupid...You got to get this deal done. Too many people are dying. It's not worth it."
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev wrote in an X post on Saturday: "Peace will prevail despite threats to peacemakers by many who benefit from war."
Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Friday X post: "A week of Russian terror in [Ukraine]: strikes on a passenger train, UNESCO site, homes & critical infrastructure. Civilians are not 'targets' – attacking them is a war crime. Today we delivered a protest note to the Russian Embassy in Vilnius. The civilized world must not look away."
What Happens Next
Russia, Ukraine, and the United States held trilateral talks last week, which Zelensky called "constructive." A peace plan is expected to be negotiated soon, with the most recent known proposal appearing to grant Russia expanded control over two eastern Ukrainian territories in exchange for security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe. Territorial sovereignty has been at the crux of the war, and Ukraine has repeatedly rejected the notion of giving up its land, which is seen as a major concession.
Another set of trilateral talks are expected to talk place on February 1 in Abu Dhabi.
Update 1/31/26, 4:13 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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