Ukraine imposes nationwide power restrictions after Russian strikes

Ukraine introduced electricity consumption restrictions across all regions on April 8 as its energy system remains under strain following sustained Russian attacks on infrastructure.

“Due to the difficult situation in the energy system caused by previous shelling, consumption restriction measures are being forcibly applied today in all regions of Ukraine,” Ukrenergo said in a statement, RBC-Ukraine reports.

Under the restrictions, power limits for industrial users will be in effect from 07:00 to 22:00. Additionally, scheduled hourly outages for all categories of consumers are planned between 11:00 and 13:00.

Serhii Kovalenko, CEO of YASNO, said the outage schedules will specifically affect Kyiv and the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russian strikes on energy facilities have also caused outages in frontline regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy. Emergency repair efforts are ongoing in areas where the security situation permits.

According to Ukrenergo, electricity consumption on the morning of April 8 was 16% higher than at the same time the previous day. The increase was attributed to colder temperatures and overcast weather, which reduced the output of household solar systems and placed additional pressure on the national grid.

By Vafa Guliyeva