Does Ukraine really sell electricity abroad during blackouts: the CPA has set the record straight
As Ukrainians face power outages, false claims are spreading online about alleged commercial electricity exports to Europe.
Ukraine’s energy system
A new wave of disinformation is gaining traction on social media. Users are widely sharing videos and screenshots from international energy monitoring platforms, which supposedly show Ukraine actively selling electricity to European Union countries while its own citizens are left without power.
The claims were addressed by Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD).
The agency firmly denied reports of any commercial electricity exports.
“Ukraine is not exporting electricity. All available generation capacity is used exclusively to meet domestic demand,” the CCD said in a statement.
The current electricity deficit, caused by Russian attacks on thermal and hydroelectric power plants, makes any discussion of exporting power impossible. The priority, the agency stressed, is supplying electricity to Ukrainian homes, hospitals and defense-related facilities.
The CCD also noted that Ukraine’s power system is an integral part of the European ENTSO-E grid.
“When power systems are interconnected, there are technical electricity flows between them. This is a physical process required to balance frequency and voltage within a unified grid, not a commercial sale,” the agency explained.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation says the spread of such claims is aimed at increasing psychological pressure on the public.
Ukrainians are urged to rely only on official sources of information, including Ukrenergo and the Ministry of Energy, and to avoid sharing unverified videos from dubious online accounts.