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Gallery|Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine plunges into darkness after wave of Russian attacks

Facing a frigid winter with what may be widespread power outages, Ukrainians prepare and adapt.

A person crosses a road as blackouts continue in downtown Kyiv
A person crosses a road in front of a tram as blackouts hit downtown Kyiv on November 6 2022. [Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE]
Published On 7 Nov 2022

Ukraine’s electrical grid operator has told consumers to brace for more blackouts in the capital, Kyiv, and six other regions as it seeks to reduce the strain on energy infrastructure damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks.

Rolling blackouts are becoming increasingly routine in the capital of three million people after a wave of Russian attacks on power facilities that have damaged 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October 10.

“The country’s power grid still cannot resume full operation after the Russian terrorist attacks,” the Ukrenergo grid operator said on Monday. “In some regions, we have to introduce blackouts to avoid overloading the high-voltage infrastructure.”

Scheduled shutdowns from 6am local time to the end of the day will affect Kyiv and the regions of Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava, it said in a statement.

President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation that more than 4.5 million consumers were without power.

Apartment blocks stand in near total darkness
Apartment blocks stand in near-total darkness during a scheduled power cut on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv. [Ed Ram/Getty Images]
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Unilluminated street and residential blocks during a blackout.
An unlit street and residential blocks are pictured during a blackout after a Russian missile attack on Ukrainian power infrastructure. [Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto/Getty Images]
People sit in a cafe during a blackout in Kyiv.
People in Kyiv are still enjoying cafes despite regular blackouts. [Andrew Kravchenko/AP Photo]
Residents of the residential district of Troieshchyna illuminate their way with flashlights of phones during an emergency blackout
Residents of Kyiv's Troieshchyna district use their phones during an emergency blackout. [Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images]
A worker of a fast food restaurant waits for customers at a non-illuminated street.
A worker at a dark fast-food restaurant waits for customers after Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have led to blackouts. [Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE]
A person plays a piano in a street underpass during a blackout in Kyiv
A person plays a piano in a street underpass during a blackout. [Andrew Kravchenko/AP Photo]
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Olena Bastun, a 53 year-old travel enthusiast prepare for power and water cuts.
Olena Bastun uses her camping skills and equipment to prepare for power and water cuts. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
A man sits in a cafe during a blackout in Kyiv.
A man sits in a cafe during a blackout in Kyiv. [Andrew Kravchenko/AP Photo]
Catherine, 70, looks out the window while holding a candle for light inside her house during a power outage.
A woman looks out the window while holding a candle for light inside her house during a power outage in Borodyanka. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]