Power cuts mean more than darkened homes: they can leave residents without heating, running water or a working lift to reach their floor. A new BBC report, published on 12 November, shows the everyday consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to the broadcaster, hundreds of thousands of people across Ukraine have been left without electricity in recent weeks, while further air raid alerts have interrupted repairs to damaged facilities.
Daryna Kulchytska, a Kyiv resident who spoke to the BBC, said her family had recently been receiving electricity for just four or five hours a day, at irregular intervals. That is one household’s experience, not an average for the capital or the country. But it illustrates how difficult even basic tasks become when people do not know when the power will return.
The outages disrupt study and work, and their effects extend well beyond lighting. Without electricity, pumps needed to supply water and lifts cannot operate. Heating homes also becomes a problem. Damage to the electricity network is therefore disrupting several essential services at once.
Repairs interrupted by air raid alerts
BBC reporters visited a large Ukrainian power station that had been put out of operation by a missile strike. They found damaged equipment and repair crews whose work had to stop during air raid alerts. The broadcaster is withholding the plant’s name for security reasons.
Maksym Timchenko, chief executive of energy company DTEK, told the BBC that the scale of Russia’s attacks and the weapons being used were putting greater pressure on an already damaged network. In his assessment, air defences cannot protect all critical infrastructure.
Timchenko also estimated that rebuilding the power station visited by the reporters would take at least until next summer. That is a forecast, rather than a guaranteed date for its return to service. He explained that the continuing threat of attacks severely limits the time crews can spend carrying out repairs effectively.
Generating electricity is only part of the challenge
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s position as reported by the BBC, Ukraine has sufficient generating capacity. However, damaged power lines and substations are hampering electricity supplies to consumers. The distinction matters: being able to generate electricity does not necessarily mean it can reach people’s homes.
The BBC’s new reporting shows the continuing consequences for residents and the obstacles facing energy workers. It is not a comprehensive assessment of electricity availability across Ukraine, but a picture of daily life shaped by the condition of the network and the ability to repair it.
