After four years of war, Ukraine is confronted with big challenges. Since last year, Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy sites. According to energy expert Yury Korolchuk, Ukraine is now on the brink of a total blackout due to extreme strain on the power grid and insufficient capacity.

Energy expert Yolchuk, speaking to the Ukrainian news outlet Apostrof, warned that the system is steadily deteriorating. “We may reach a point where we will have to put additional strain on our nuclear plants and substations, which have not yet been fully repaired,” he said. “Sooner or later, this will cause a blackout—effectively, we will bring it on ourselves. It will be a system failure.” According to Korolchuk, Ukraine is now closer to a total blackout than at any time since the war began. The grid currently lacks at least 4 gigawatts of thermal power capacity necessary to maintain stability, and without it, the risk of a  collapse grows by the day.

Since early 2025,  electricity shortages have impacted the country severely as key generation plants and transmission lines remain damaged or destroyed. The reliance on partially repaired nuclear facilities further heightens safety and operational concerns. With winter approaching and no quick fix in sight, Ukraine’s energy authorities face a race against time to postpone a complete shutdown that would paralyze civilian life and critical services.