Could Kyiv face total blackout? YASNO assesses risks

Fully cutting power to Kyiv is currently difficult, but “anything is possible”, as the enemy has sufficient resources and the city’s energy system remains static, YASNO CEO Serhii Kovalenko said.

Responding to a question on whether Russia could completely deprive Kyiv of external power supply, Kovalenko said this was a complex and multi-factor issue. He stressed that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, attacks on transformers and other critical infrastructure have occurred regularly, adding that “anything is possible”.

“This is an enemy that is armed and has resources, while the energy system is static — not a machine that can be moved. That is why anything is possible. Its likelihood depends on many factors,” Kovalenko said.

He added that air defense systems and emergency repair teams help reduce risks, noting that even after attacks, networks are restored quickly when all services are operating, based on the company’s experience.

Kovalenko described the situation on January 9, when due to malfunctions and a surge of public calls, the company received hundreds of thousands of calls and messages across all channels. According to him, some of the calls were panic reactions to power outages, while others reflected actual network failures.

“Statistics from recent weeks show that around 20% of calls are relevant, with crews actually dispatched for repairs. The rest are false alarms or issues in building-level networks,” Kovalenko explained.

He added that although the likelihood of a large-scale blackout in Kyiv exists, the system responds quickly to malfunctions, and the number of crews working on restoration has increased significantly, helping to minimize disruptions for city residents.