Odesa energy crisis escalates to state emergency following Russian attacks

The state of the energy sector in Ukraine’s Odesa region following Russian strikes has been officially recognised as a state-level emergency, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, announced.

“The emergency situation that arose as a result of a massive enemy attack on the energy infrastructure of the Odesa region has been declared a state-level emergency. The relevant decision was made at a meeting of the commission on technological and environmental safety and emergencies at the Odesa Regional Military Administration,” the statement said.

Kiper noted that the decision was based on the consequences of the recent Russian attacks on energy facilities, which resulted in a prolonged disruption of normal living conditions for more than 50,000 residents of the region for over three days.

The commission also instructed heads of military administrations, community leaders, and the National Police to carry out preventive and explanatory work with business owners on the need to minimise the use of illumination and decorative lighting in order to conserve electricity for the population and critical infrastructure facilities.

In addition, additional funds from the reserve fund will be allocated to local communities to replenish fuel and lubricant stocks. “This is necessary to ensure the uninterrupted operation of generators that power critical infrastructure facilities: hospitals, educational institutions, resilience centres and other vital institutions,” Kiper concluded.

The announcement follows a massive overnight strike launched by Russian forces on December 13, targeting critical and civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region. It was also reported that Odesa was left without electricity and water, with restoration work already underway.

According to the City Military Administration, the timeframe for restoring electricity and water supplies in Odesa remains unknown.

By Vafa Guliyeva