Ukraine’s Energy Crisis
Learn how IWPR’s Ukraine team carry on reporting, despite the energy crisis caused by relentless Russian bombing.
Ukraine’s Energy Crisis
Learn how IWPR’s Ukraine team carry on reporting, despite the energy crisis caused by relentless Russian bombing.
Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.
THE BIG PICTURE
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure are causing frequent blackouts and shortages, with many households receiving just hours of electricity each day.
As temperatures drop below -20 centigrade in parts of Ukraine, this means not only interrupted basic services such as heating and water but also internet and communication outages – impacting all civilian life, including that of journalists.
VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE
“Like most Ukrainians, I have prepared for blackouts - I have a power bank and LED lamps, - but it’s still very difficult to adjust my work and daily life to these emergency outages,” said Kyiv-based Olga Golovina, IWPR’s Ukraine Justice editor. “This is compounded by general war fatigue and constant exposure to distressing news, the dark season, the continuous noise of generators in the streets, and the headache-inducing smell of fuel.”
“Power outages sometimes last hours or even days, which not only slows down work, but can also leave people without basic necessities such as the ability to cook food or heat their homes,” noted IWPR programme assistant Anastasia Kucher, from Dnipro. “The loud rumbling of power generators is the everyday soundtrack.”
In Kharkiv, close to the frontline, IWPR contributor Tetyana Dotsyak – a correspondent for Ukrainian private channel ICTV – keeps a precious reserve of fuel at all times.
“I am constantly anxious because this is not much,” she said. “I always need to have fuel available in case I have to leave quickly if the frontline moves closer. All of this is extremely stressful and frustrating, and it requires constant calculation and planning, as I have to continuously factor fuel costs into my budget.”
Yuliia Khymeryk, an Odesa journalist covering war crimes justice cases for IWPR, described the impact of a recent huge strike on southern Ukraine on both her life and her work.
“Three regions - Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson - were left without electricity for several days,” she said. “In some areas, there was also no water supply or heating. As I live far from the media hub, and courts were also mostly without power, I was partially unable to work.”
WHY IT MATTERS
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure are a war crime.
They are intended to make daily life unbearable, undermine public morale and force civilians to flee, increasing social and economic strain. This turns energy shortages into psychological pressure, not just physical damage.
“Power outages have a negative impact on my productivity and my emotional well-being,” said Golovina. “People’s overall anxiety, apathy, and irritability are palpable."
THE BOTTOM LINE
Attacks on civilian infrastructure impede the work of those who try to report on the war, just as they impact the entire population.
IWPR has worked for 12 years with local journalists and rights defenders in Ukraine to resist Russia’s threats. We will continue to do so, hoping for a just and sustainable end to the war and inspired by the resilience and determination of our Ukrainian team.
Despite the pressures, Dotsyak remains determined, “I am glad that life is still flickering here in Kharkiv. We will get through everything.”
