| Data | |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity (2025) | 13 GW[1] |
| Institutions | |
| Responsibility for transmission | Ukrenergo |
Electricity is an important part ofenergy in Ukraine. Mostelectricity generation isnuclear,[2] and the system is inflexible.[3] The bulk ofEnergoatom output is sold to the government's "guaranteed buyer" to keep prices more stable for domestic customers.[4][5][obsolete source] Until the 2010s all of Ukraine's nuclear fuel came from Russia, but now most does not.[6]
Some electricity infrastructure was destroyed in theRusso-Ukrainian War,[7][8] butwind farms,solar power andbatteries are thought to be resilient because they aredistributed.[9] As of 2025[update] there is about a third of pre-invasion installed capacity.[10] As of 2025[update] just over 2 GW can be imported from other European countries,[10] but that is not enough to cover peak demand.[2][11] Betterair defence is needed,[12]: 5 and many small gas-turbine generators are being installed togenerate flexibly to reduce theblackouts being caused byRussian attacks.[11] As of 2025[update] theEnergy Ministry is prioritising decentralisation forenergy security, such asrooftop solar with batteries.[10]
Electricity production fell from 296 TWh in 1991 to 171 TWh in 1999, then increased slowly to 195 TWh in 2007, before falling again.[13] In 2014, consumption was 134 TWh after transmission losses of 20 TWh, with peak demand at about 28GWe. 8 TWh was exported to Europe. In 2015 electricity production fell to about 146 TWh largely due to a fall inanthracite coal supplies caused by theWar in Donbass.[14][15]
In July 2019, a new wholesale energy market was launched, intended to bring real competition in the generation market and help future integration with Europe. The change was a prerequisite for receiving European Union assistance. It led to in increased price for industrial consumers of between 14% and 28% during July. The bulk ofEnergoatom output is sold to the government's "guaranteed buyer" to keep prices more stable for domestic customers.[4][5]
Since 2017 Ukraine sought to divest itself of dependency on the Unified Power System of Russia (UPS) and instead connect westwards to thesynchronous grid of Continental Europe, thereby participating in European electricity markets.[16][17] Power lines coupling the country to the grids of neighbouring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary existed, but were de-energised.
A necessary prerequisite of Ukrainian integration was for the country to successfully demonstrate it was capable of running in an 'islanded' manner, maintaining satisfactory control of its own frequency. To do that would require disconnection from the UPS grid, and a date of 24 February 2022 was set. This proved to be the dateRussia invaded Ukraine, but the disconnection nonetheless proceeded to schedule. Ukraine placed an urgent request to synchronise with the European grid toENTSO-E, the European collective oftransmission system operators of which it was a member, and on 16 March 2022 the western circuits were energised, bringing both Ukraine and Moldova, which is coupled to the Ukrainian grid, into the European synchronised grid.[18][19][20] On 16 March 2022 a trial synchronisation started of the Ukraine and Moldova grid with the European grid.[18]
 | This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is:can you add 2025 citing articles such ashttps://www.brookings.edu/articles/ukraines-energy-sector-is-a-key-battleground-in-the-war-with-russia/. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2025) |
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During theRusso-Ukrainian war winterattacks ondistrict heating and electricity in Ukraine caused crises forenergy in Ukraine.
The situation created significant challenges during the 2024 winter season, with the country's generating capacity severely compromised and facing widespread blackouts, leading to difficulties in heating Ukrainian households as well as further economic challenges to the nation. The crisis was referred to by energy and geopolitical experts as one of the most severe disruptions to a national power system in recent history.[21][22][23]
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Russia has launched waves of missile anddrone strikes againstenergy in Ukraine as part ofits invasion.[24] From 2022 the strikestargeted civilian areas beyond the battlefield, particularly critical power infrastructure,[25][26] which is considered awar crime.[27][28] By mid-2024 the country only had a third of pre-warelectricity generating capacity, and somegas distribution anddistrict heating had been hit.[29]
On 10 October 2022 Russia attacked the power grid throughout Ukraine, including inKyiv, with a wave of 84cruise missiles and 24loitering munitions.[30] Further waves struck Ukrainian infrastructure, killing and injuring many, and seriouslyaffecting energy distribution across Ukraine and neighboring countries. By 19 November, nearly half of the country's power grid was out of commission, and 10 million Ukrainians were without electricity, according to Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy.[31] By mid-December, Russia had fired more than 1,000 missiles and drones at Ukraine's energy grid.[32] Several wavestargeted Kyiv, includingone on 16 May 2023 in which Ukraine said it had intercepted sixKinzhal missiles.
Deliberately depriving Ukrainians of electricity and heating during the cold winter months was the biggest attack on a nation's health sinceWorld War II.[33] The attacks onpower stations inflicted large economic and practical costs on Ukraine.[34] The UK Defense Ministry said the strikes were intended to demoralize the population and force the Ukrainian leadership to capitulate.[35] This is widely deemed to have failed.[36][37]
The strikes were condemned by Western groups, with theEuropean Commission describing them as "barbaric"[38] andNATO secretary generalJens Stoltenberg calling them "horrific and indiscriminate".[39] President Zelenskyy described the strikes as "absolute evil" and "terrorism".[40] TheInternational Criminal Court (ICC) indicted four Russian officials for alleged war crimes connected with attacks against civilian infrastructure, including former minister of defenceSergei Shoigu andChief of the General StaffValery Gerasimov.
On 31 January 2026, further emergency power cuts occurred in several Ukrainian and Moldovan cities, caused by a technical malfunction in the powerlines connecting the 2 countries according toDenys Shmyhal.[7][41]
As of 2024 peak demand cannot be met. More flexible demand, such as electric vehicles andheat pumps, could help smooth peaks.[3]
In 2024 Russia put 9 GW of capacity out of action.[42]Ukrenergo has suggested that hundreds of small power plants should be built to enhanceenergy security.[12]
There are fournuclear power plants inUkraine but one of them,Zaporizhzhia, is now occupied and claimed by Russia and shutdown. The 15 reactors total installed capacity is over 13 GWe.[43]Energoatom, a Ukrainianstate enterprise, is the operator. Ukraine is one of the very few countries wherenuclear power supplies most of its electricity.[44][45]
Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and Russia wantsRosatom to restart it.[46]
The 1986Chernobyl disaster in northern Ukraine was the world's most severe nuclear accident to date. It occurred at theChernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on the banks of theDnieper.
Lack ofcoal for Ukraine's coal-fired power stations due to thewar in Donbas and a shut down of one of the six reactors of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant led to rolling blackouts throughout the country in December 2014. Due to theRusso-Ukrainian War, the nuclear power plant has been damaged.
Ukraine relies to a large extent on nuclear power. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, theZaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is located in Ukraine. In 2006, the government planned to build 11 newreactors by the year 2030, which would have almost doubled the current amount of nuclear power capacity.[48]
Hydropower is part ofrenewable energy in Ukraine. Ukraine is trying to build more smallhydroelectric plants as sources of electricity in Ukraine.[49] State operating company isUkrhydroenergo.[50] About half of hydro capacity ofpower stations in Ukraine has been destroyed in theRussian invasion of Ukraine,[51] including theKakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.[52] Defence againstdrones is important.[53]
Many smallgas-turbine generators are used, as these are more difficult toattack than largegas-fired orcoal-fired power plants.[54] Up to 700 MW of gaspeakers may be installed before 2030.[55]
About 2 GW can flow with neighbouring countries.[56] There is a 750 kV link withHungary.[57]: 6 It has been suggested that the 220 kV link withPoland be improved and that interconnection withSlovakia be built sooner.[57]: 5 There are five 110 kV interconnections withMoldova, but they could be better used.[57]: 5
TheIEA says that capacity limits onlinks from neighbouring countries should be increased,[58] and that moredecentralised generation and batteries should be installed forenergy security.[59] They recommend moreoff-grid andmini-grid. Bothtransmission anddistribution have been attacked,[58] and shelters have been built to protect substations from attack.[60][61]
Due to the large share of fixed-production nuclear, balancing the grid is particularly difficult during peak demand, which is in the morning and evening due to retail demand.[62] Peak demand can reach 18 GW in winter, or 19 in cold winters.[62]
DTEK is building morestorage,[63][64] to improveancillary services such asfrequency control.[65]Grid batteries with 200 MW power and 400 MWh energy were operating in 2025.[66]
The IEA said in 2024:[3]
"As the share of generation on the distribution network increases, distribution utilities will need to play a greater role in the planning, operation and supervision of the power system. This will require capacity building for utilities to be able to fulfil their evolving role in a more decentralised power system. In terms of planning, this would involve Ukrainian energy sector stakeholders shifting from a traditional supply-side approach to one that is more integrated and coordinated, involving actors from across the energy sector as well as across the electricity supply chain. Given the increasingly decentralised nature of the power system, it is essential that the Transmission System Operators (TSO) and the Distribution System Operators (DSOs) work in close collaboration, while policy makers and regulators need to take steps to clearly redefine the roles and responsibilities of DSOs towards a reliable and efficient power system."
TheIEA has published a roadmap for Ukraine's increased use of distributed energy resources (DERs) towards 2030 which says:[67]: 19
"Scaling up DERs requires robust financial incentives, while maintaining affordability and equity as core priorities. This involves two key elements: First, market design must enable broader participation of small-scale and distributed resources, such as batteries and small gas turbines, in wholesale electricity and ancillary services markets. Second, consumer tariffs should be structured to incentivise efficient electricity consumption, the deployment of behind-the-meter DERs like rooftop solar and batteries, and the operation of these resources in ways that deliver system-wide benefits."
In 2024 theprice to householders was said to be about half the market price, and it has been suggested that to encourage energy saving and energy efficiency thesubsidy should only apply toenergy poor households and/or a certain minimum consumption.[68]
DTEK has started installingsmart meters.[69] Central and city government is subsidizing rooftop solar installation.[62]
In Ukraine, "the coming winter now makes health a priority concern"