Ukraine Facing Severe Power Shortage... Tells Millions of Overseas Refugees "Don't Come This Winter"

40% of Ukraine's Power Capacity Damaged by Russian Airstrikes
1 Million Households Blacked Out... Rolling Power Outages Nationwide Since the 20th

A household in Kyiv, Ukraine, where rolling blackouts began on the 20th. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Ukraine, facing its first winter since the Russian invasion, has advised refugees living abroad not to return home this winter. The energy crisis is intensifying as critical infrastructure, including the power grid, has been severely damaged by Russian attacks, causing power outages in one million households across Ukraine.

According to a report by the UK’s BBC on the 25th (local time), Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk appeared on national TV and said, "I want to ask refugees not to return to Ukraine until next spring. The power grid will not hold." She added, "We must survive this winter." She explained that if millions of refugees abroad return while energy supply is difficult due to the destruction of power infrastructure, the situation will worsen. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 7.7 million Ukrainian refugees have fled abroad since the Russian invasion.

Recently, Russia, cornered on the southeastern front, has been conducting bombings targeting power facilities across Ukraine. Military experts analyze that Russia aims to pressure Ukraine by disrupting electricity, heating, and water supplies. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, about 40% of total power generation facilities and capacity have been severely damaged by Russian airstrikes.

Combined heat and power plants (TETS), which provide both electricity and heating during winter, have also become major targets of Russian airstrikes. If TETS are destroyed, there is a high risk of electricity and heating supply being cut off. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) expressed concern, stating, "Russian airstrikes threaten Ukraine’s heating network," and warned that "many regions in Ukraine, including Kyiv, could face heating outages ahead of winter."

As demand for electricity and heating rises in winter, Ukraine’s energy crisis is deepening. On the 22nd, over one million households across Ukraine experienced power outages.

In response, Ukrainian authorities have implemented nationwide rolling blackouts to conserve electricity. On the 20th, Ukraine’s state power company Ukrenergo announced, "From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. today, power usage restrictions may be applied nationwide." They added, "Power outages will be conducted in rotation, and the duration will be decided by local distribution companies but will not exceed four hours." Ukrenergo did not specify how long the rolling blackouts will continue, but given the difficulty of restoring power infrastructure in the short term, the blackout measures are likely to be prolonged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.