Ukraine must significantly increase power imports due to Russian attacks on the electricity network

Last winter, the massive Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure started in October, but this time the focus is much later. Ukraine has survived the last few months without massive power outages, partly because the Ukrainian air defense has been strengthened with Western weapon systems. However, Russia still struck in the first week of spring.

Large-scale airstrikes seriously damaged a major hydroelectric power plant in Zaporizhia and a thermal power plant in Kharkiv on Friday. Several dozen smaller power stations were also hit. More than a million Ukrainians were without power. The recovery operation at both power stations could take more than a year, the administrators expect.

The attacks are a serious blow to Ukrainian electricity production, forcing Ukraine to import electricity from neighboring countries such as Slovakia, Romania and Moldova. Before the war, Ukraine actually sold energy to other countries. Now electricity exports have almost come to a standstill.

At the beginning of this month, Ukraine was still a net exporter of electricity. Imports gradually increased over the month, before suddenly skyrocketing a day after the Russian attacks on March 22. On Tuesday, Ukrainian electricity imports reached the highest level of this year at more than 18 gigawatt hours.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is striking now because of the lack of Western arms support. Russia is taking advantage of shortfalls in Ukrainian air defense by intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s electricity supply.

These attacks continue unabated. On Sunday, two power stations in Odesa were hit by a Russian drone strike, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power. Grid operator Oekrenergo warns that Ukraine could face energy shortages for months to come. In the provinces of Kharkiv and Odesa, electricity is temporarily rationed: in each district, residents have to go without power for a few hours a day.

Ukrainian electricity production reached an all-time low in the first half of the Russian invasion. In the months that followed, Ukraine managed to partially restore production, but Ukraine has not come close to pre-invasion levels. Now that important power stations have been disabled and Russia appears to be continuing its attacks, Ukraine is likely to have difficult weeks ahead.