Ukraine braces for grim winter amid strikes on power plants

Kyiv: A summer house in the countryside east of Kyiv now offers Heorhii Samofalov a safer and more stable life than his high-rise apartment in the Ukrainian capital. He doesn't need to use an elevator and has access to an uninterrupted supply of water and other amenities.

"Power issues made it extremely challenging to reach the thirteenth floor," the 75-year-old retiree said. "It's a problem even to make tea, as everything runs on electricity."

Russia's massive attacks on Ukraine's power grid have forced many like him to consider their options as a grim winter without heating looms. This week's air raids on Kyiv and other cities across the country were the largest since Russia's full-scale invasion began two and a half year ago.


In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy estimated that such attacks cost his country 80% of its thermal power-plant capacity and one-third of hydro-power production, crucial for smooth electricity supplies. Diesel generators are becoming a normal part of life; this year prolonged blackouts, once a feature of fall and winter, persisted throughout the summer.

The recent air raids followed Ukraine's surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region. The authorities need to restore damaged power plants and find a way to defend them - and do both while the barrages continue.