As winter deepens, RussiaS attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are leaving millions without essential services, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Following recent strikes, approximately one million residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region are now without water and heating, while the Zaporizhzhia region experienced a complete power outage Wednesday evening [[1]]. These deliberate strikes, mirroring a pattern established since the 2022 invasion, are raising concerns about the protection of civilians during the coldest months of the year and prompting calls for increased international support [[3]].
Millions of Ukrainians are facing a harsh winter without power and water following widespread infrastructure disruptions, with the situation particularly critical in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The disruptions come as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy grid, a pattern observed annually since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Zaporizhzhia region experienced a complete power outage around 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. Electricity and heating were gradually restored after 3 a.m. Thursday, he said.
“This was the first complete blackout across the entire region in the last year, but all services were working from the first minute,” Fedorov stated.
Neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region remains in a critical state as of Thursday afternoon, with approximately one million residents without access to water and heating, Ukraine’s Minister of Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba reported.
In the city of Dnipro, hospitals are operating on generators with limited capacity, and public transportation, including the metro system, has been disrupted. School holidays in the region have been extended by several days.
“The situation in Dnipro is one of the most difficult technically. In fact, it is an emergency situation of national scale,” said Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov, emphasizing that restoring power to critical infrastructure, including hospitals, is the top priority.
Regional military authorities have urged residents to limit their use of mobile communications, as cellular base stations are running on emergency batteries.
Energy Workers Continue Repairs Amidst Ongoing Attacks
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, stated that repair crews are working around the clock.
“Repair work continued throughout the night to restore power supply after damage caused by hostilities to critical infrastructure in Dnipro and the surrounding area,” the company said in a statement.
However, air raid sirens are significantly hindering progress. “The pace of repairs is limited because workers must suspend work and seek shelter during air raid alerts,” DTEK added.
Zelenskyy: “This is a War Against People”
Russia has consistently intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy system during the winter months, a pattern that has continued since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in early 2022. The situation is further complicated by a forecast for temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days, making the loss of power and heating particularly dangerous.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Ukraine’s partners to respond to Russia’s actions. “There can be no justification for claims of diplomacy to slow down the delivery of air defense,” Zelenskyy stressed. “These strikes have no military logic – they leave people without electricity and heating in winter. This is Russia’s war against our people, against life in Ukraine.”
