14.01.2026
Despite Russian attacks and winter frosts, emergency crews are working around the clock to restore power supply. The experience of Ukrainian energy workers is already proving useful to specialists worldwide.
Source: Polskie Radio, Viktoriia Mashtaler
The state of Ukraine’s energy systems remains difficult following massive Russian attacks. In addition to the damage caused by strikes on critical infrastructure, winter weather conditions pose additional challenges. Emergency repair crews continue to work around the clock at maximum intensity. According to energy expert and Energy Club Vice President Maksym Bielawski, the meteorological factor significantly impacts the pace of recovery work.
“Unfortunately, the situation remains difficult. Severe weather conditions, particularly meteorological factors, create additional challenges for the energy system. Besides the consequences of barbaric attacks, which are currently being localized, the icing of technological equipment and power lines, as well as damage to power grids, is becoming a serious problem. All of this complicates the work of emergency crews and leads to extended timelines for repair and recovery operations,” notes Maksym Bielawski.
Experts emphasize that winter is traditionally one of the most difficult periods for the energy system, and under wartime conditions, weather factors become yet another element of multi-level risk for stable power supply.
According to Maksym Bielawski, the schedules of emergency and line maintenance services are not public, which is justified during war. “As a former direct employee of line maintenance services, I can say that work continues virtually without interruption. This can involve two or three shifts. Public reports and messages from energy workers show that the process of reconnecting consumers and restoring power supply is ongoing; with each passing day, light returns to more and more people,” the expert explains, adding that the situation becomes particularly difficult during periods of temperature drops and peak consumption hours, when the load on the system increases significantly.
“When the temperature drops, especially during peak hours, it is hardest for the energy system to balance between production and consumption and maintain the appropriate frequency. However, I want to draw attention to the main criterion—the frequency in the energy system is stable. This indicates that dispatch services are approaching the balancing and determination of operating modes for technological equipment with maximum quality,” emphasizes Maksym Bielawski.
Ukraine’s energy system has been operating under conditions of full-scale war, subject to constant missile, drone, and cyber attacks, for nearly four years now. As the expert notes, the practical experience gained by Ukrainian energy workers will undoubtedly be useful in the future for specialists worldwide. According to him, problems with power supply stability today arise not only in countries at war. Such challenges are also recorded in developed nations.
“We see that there were recently power outages in Berlin, in the western part of the city. Earlier in the fall, there were problems in certain regions of Spain. There are issues with power supply stability on the West Coast of the United States as well. It is very important to maintain communication between energy workers in Ukraine and the world, to exchange developed solutions and practices. I hope that such exchange of experience will only intensify,” underlines Maksym Bielawski.
He emphasizes that Ukraine is resisting an aggressive enemy that wages war not only on land, in the air, and at sea, but also actively uses cyberspace to attack critical technological systems. Awareness of this threat must be shared by all of democratic Europe and the global community.
