Ukrenergo Orders Rolling Blackouts in Six Ukrainian Regions

Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state-owned electricity transmission operator, introduced new power outage schedules across six oblasts on the morning of October 26. The operator cited ongoing Russian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure as the direct cause of the disruptions. The affected regions are Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy.

The rolling blackouts will cover up to 2.5 queues for all consumer categories. Ukrenergo defines a queue as a specific group of consumers and businesses assigned to a particular load capacity in megawatts. The Dispatch Centre determines how many queues must be disconnected to manage energy deficits. These schedules will remain in effect until the end of the day.

Industrial facilities face stricter limitations to prevent overloading equipment damaged by previous bombardments. However, critical infrastructure and eligible industrial companies that import at least 60% of their energy are exempt from disconnection. This exemption follows a resolution by the Ukrainian Cabinet that applies to the affected oblasts.

Emergency repair crews have begun working at damaged sites where safety conditions allow. Ukrenergo reported that electricity consumption has already dropped due to these restrictions. As of 9:30 a.m. on October 26, usage was 5.8% lower than at the same time on the previous working day, Friday, October 23.

The grid operator noted that the daily consumption peak occurred on the evening of October 25. That peak was 4.8% higher than the record from the previous Sunday, October 18. Ukrenergo attributed this increase to falling air temperatures, which led consumers to use electric heaters during evening hours. To manage demand, the operator asked residents to limit the use of high-power appliances between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Additional disruptions are affecting other areas. Russian forces attacked an energy facility in the Kamianets-Podilskyi district of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, prompting emergency power cuts. Supply disruptions are also occurring in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson. Ukrenergo advised the public to consume electricity sparingly during the restriction period and to check regional distribution system operator pages for specific address-based schedules.