On the morning of January 31, a systemic failure hit Ukraine’s power grid. Emergency outages were introduced in several regions. The metro temporarily stopped in Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Technological disruptions occurred on high-voltage power lines between Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania. This caused a cascade shutdown of parts of the grid. Nuclear power units reduced their load.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported this, according to The Ukrainian Review.
Technological Disruption in the Power System
According to Shmyhal, two major lines disconnected at 10:42. One connected Romania and Moldova at 400 kV. Another linked western and central Ukraine at 750 kV.
Automatic protection systems activated at substations. Parts of the network lost power.
Nuclear power plants also reduced operational load.
Emergency Outages and Transport Disruptions
Authorities applied emergency outage schedules in Kyiv, Kyivska, Zhytomyrska, and Kharkivska oblasts.
In Kyiv, metro trains and escalators stopped due to power loss. Stations continued operating as shelters on backup power.
In Kharkiv, metro service also stopped. Later, operations resumed.
Power disruptions caused temporary water shortages in Kyiv. Some cities reported transport problems.
Impact on Moldova
The Ukrainian grid failure also affected Moldova. Voltage dropped on the Isakcha–Vulkaneshty high-voltage line.
Parts of Chisinau and other settlements lost electricity. Electric transport stopped. Communication disruptions occurred.
What Else Is Known
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said restoration work continues. Authorities keep the situation under control.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation stated the failure was not a cyberattack. It had a technological cause.
The Ministry of Energy expects power restoration in most regions within several hours.
Ukraine has suffered systematic Russian strikes on energy infrastructure throughout the full-scale war.
Russia uses attacks on the power system to pressure civilians. The goal is to plunge cities into cold and darkness.
Russia recently announced a temporary pause in large-scale energy strikes until February 1. The pause lasted shorter than promised. It also coincided with severe frosts in Ukraine.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that European partners provided generators to Ukraine due to energy attacks and humanitarian risks.
