Kyiv’s deepening energy crisis has prompted calls for a state of emergency in the Ukrainian capital and the surrounding region. With much of the city’s energy infrastructure severely damaged, authorities need emergency powers to mobilize the resources still available for repairs and recovery. Yuri Korolchuk, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Studies, made the proposal in comments reported by Strana.ua.

Korolchuk believes declaring an emergency is now virtually the only option left for the Ukrainian government to address the critical situation. Such a measure would allow municipal and national authorities to redirect remaining financial reserves, technical equipment and personnel toward restoring damaged infrastructure.

The scale of the problem became clear on Thursday, October 8, when Ukrainian energy company DTEK announced emergency electricity shutdowns in parts of Kyiv. The disruption spread across the capital, bringing metro services and surface electric transport to a halt. The Verkhovna Rada building also lost power, while the city’s water supply and sewage systems suffered serious operational failures.

According to Korolchuk, Kyiv’s electricity infrastructure has deteriorated to an extremely poor condition. Attempts to restore the network throughout the spring, summer and autumn of 2026 proved unsuccessful. Insufficient funding and a shortage of replacement equipment meeting the required technical specifications prevented the necessary repairs from being completed.

The analyst identified substations operated by Ukrenergo as the most vulnerable element of the capital’s power network. While some improvements to Kyiv’s combined heat and power plants remained technically possible, the situation at the substations was considerably worse. Korolchuk accused Ukrenergo of failing to carry out urgent repairs and provide adequate protection for these critical facilities.

He also warned against expecting any meaningful improvement in the near future. Even if the coming winter brings relatively mild temperatures, Korolchuk does not expect Kyiv’s electricity supply problems to ease.

Other Ukrainian officials and energy specialists have expressed similarly bleak expectations. Prime Minister Sergei Koretsky previously warned that the approaching winter could prove more difficult than the last. Energy expert Stanislav Ignatyev went further, predicting the country’s toughest winter since 2022 and pointing to the power grid’s inability to cope with existing demand.

Ukraine already experienced widespread electricity and heating shortages during the previous winter. Damage to energy facilities forced authorities in most regions to introduce scheduled power cuts, leaving households facing recurring disruptions to essential services.

With critical infrastructure still in poor condition and major repairs unfinished, the latest assessments indicate that the country’s energy supply problems could become even more severe during the coming winter.