As Ukraine braces for another harsh winter amid Russia’s ongoing invasion, the battle to keep the lights on has become a crucial front in the war. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian forces have relentlessly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread damage to power plants and energy grids. With the third winter of the war approaching, the strain on Ukraine’s already fragile energy system is mounting, and the challenges of restoring and maintaining power are more urgent than ever.
On Thursday, Russia launched its second major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in less than two weeks, adding to a total of ten such strikes in 2024 alone. These attacks have crippled around half of Ukraine’s power generation capacity, and engineers are working under increasingly difficult conditions to repair the damage. In one of the thermal power plants recently hit by a Russian airstrike, engineers, surrounded by rubble and charred machinery, are trying to restore what they can while preventing further deterioration. Some areas of the plant have been temporarily sealed off with sheets of plastic, protecting vital equipment from snow and freezing temperatures.
The destruction is everywhere. Huge holes in the roof allow snow to pour inside, and workers huddle around makeshift braziers to warm themselves as they attempt repairs. “The conditions are tough,” says Oleksandr, an engineer at one of the plants. “We don’t even have time to restore the main equipment, let alone the roof and walls. Everything gets destroyed again from one strike to the next.” This constant cycle of damage and repair is taking a toll on the exhausted workforce, which faces the impossible task of keeping the energy system operational.
Ukraine’s Western allies are providing some support, with Ukraine’s largest energy company, DTEK, receiving £89 million ($113 million) from the European Commission and the US government to aid restoration efforts. This funding is crucial to protect vital equipment from the brutal winter elements and to restore capacity. Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire, with engineers on the frontlines of what has become Ukraine’s own energy war.
Meanwhile, the people of Ukraine are adapting to the power shortages that have become a part of daily life. In cities across the country, generators hum to life as businesses and homes try to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Diesel fumes fill the air, and streetlights are often turned off, but shops and restaurants continue to operate, their windows glowing brightly against the darkness outside.
In high-rise apartments, power cuts have forced residents to get creative. In Kyiv’s Pozniaky neighborhood, a group of residents has pooled resources to install a larger power system in their building’s basement, providing enough electricity to run a lift and pump hot water to the upper floors. For people like Nataliya Andriyko, who lives on the 19th floor, the ability to use the lift and have running water is a small but significant relief in an otherwise difficult situation. “It’s scary how happy I am just to have these basic needs,” she says, her kitchen lit by a single battery-operated lamp.
Despite the hardship, Ukraine’s spirit remains unbroken. Across the country, people are coming together to share resources, whether it’s buying generators, solar panels, or simply offering moral support. The sense of community is particularly evident in the film “Zbory OSBB,” which humorously depicts the challenges of living without power during Ukraine’s harsh winters. The film, based on real-life experiences, captures the frustrations and conflicts that arise when a group of residents must find a way to stay warm and keep their homes powered during the winter months.
“We have a great group of people,” says Nataliya. “People who are modern, who understand that something can be invented. Together, we’re strong.”
As Ukraine faces yet another winter of war, its people continue to innovate, adapt, and fight to keep their homes warm and their lights on. The war is far from over, but the resilience of the Ukrainian people remains unwavering, even as they face the relentless onslaught of Russia’s attacks on their energy infrastructure.
