Ukraine's energy minister warned that planned blackouts may intensify and that Russia could launch further air strikes targeting power and heating infrastructure. More than 200 emergency crews are working in Kyiv, where over 1,100 buildings remain without heating; some locations are being guaranteed 18 hours of electricity per day. Officials have recorded 217 attacks on the energy system so far this year, and European countries plus UNICEF have sent hundreds of generators. President Zelenskiy said the latest assault involved hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles ahead of three-sided talks with Russia and the United States.
Ukraine Warns Power Cuts Could Worsen as Officials Brace for New Russian Strikes
Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal stands on the day of a meeting under the European defence and foreign ministers format in Brussels, Belgium, December 1, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine's energy minister warned households on Wednesday that planned blackouts could worsen in the coming days and that Russian forces may launch new air attacks aimed at further disabling the country's power and heating networks.
Denys Shmyhal said well over 200 emergency crews were working in Kyiv to restore heating to apartment buildings after a series of large Russian strikes in January. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that more than 1,100 buildings in the capital remained without heating.
"The situation with energy remains very difficult. There is a risk that timetables for power cuts could get worse," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram after a daily meeting of senior officials focused on energy. He added that generation shortfalls in the power system remain significant and warned that "the Russians are preparing for new attacks on the energy sector in the coming week."
Shmyhal said buildings where restoring heating will take longer would be assured of receiving electricity for 18 hours a day. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said authorities had recorded 217 attacks on Ukraine's energy system since the start of the year and listed international assistance, including hundreds of generators provided by European countries and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF).
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly address, said Kyiv's situation was worse than in other cities and that resources were being redirected to the capital, with additional support heading to Kharkiv. He said Russia deployed hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles in the latest mass attack, which targeted energy sites on the eve of three-sided peace talks with Russia and the United States.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleskandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Himani Sarkar - Reuters)
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