KYIV — Top Ukrainian energy officials say the country is facing a potentially devastating humanitarian crisis unless a ceasefire protects vital power infrastructure targeted in the war with Russia. Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK — Ukraine’s largest private power producer — told Reuters that relentless Russian airstrikes on power plants, transmission lines and other critical facilities have brought the nation’s energy system to the brink. Ukraine has endured weeks of extreme cold with temperatures plunging to as low as –20 °C, while power is available only intermittently in many regions of the country.
Timchenko described the campaign of attacks since October 2025 as “energy terror,” noting that Ukraine has lost about 60–70 % of its generating capacity and that rebuilding could cost upwards of $65 billion. He urged that any future peace agreement include a specific energy ceasefire to halt damage to infrastructure that civilians rely on for heat and electricity.
Ukraine’s national grid operator has reported the situation “significantly worsened,” with emergency outages across most regions and reliance on emergency generators and international support to keep hospitals and essential services running.
Poland and the European Union have begun sending generators to help Ukrainians cope with rolling blackouts amid the brutal winter, underlining the urgency of the crisis as peace talks continue alongside rising humanitarian fears.
news as reported.
