Zelenskyy urges faster energy imports as power outages deepen crisis
Ukraine’s president has called for an urgent acceleration of electricity imports and additional energy equipment deliveries as the country faces its worst wartime energy crisis.
He said Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have caused widespread power outages, with Kyiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions among the hardest hit. The damaged power grid is currently meeting only about 60 percent of Ukraine’s electricity needs.
Freezing winter temperatures have intensified the crisis, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without stable electricity and heating. In Kharkiv alone, around 400,000 residents are experiencing serious power difficulties, while tens of thousands of families near Kyiv remain without electricity.
Zelenskyy stressed that all necessary decisions to increase imports have already been made and that any delay is unacceptable. He warned that attacks on energy facilities are not only causing humanitarian suffering but also undermining any remaining opportunities for diplomatic dialogue.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the energy sector and cautioned that electricity restrictions are likely to continue across most regions of the country.
