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Ukraine Hit by Massive Power Outage Amid Energy Ceasefire with Russia

A major technological failure in Ukraine's power grid caused widespread blackouts, leading to emergency power cuts and the suspension of Kyiv's metro service. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal detailed the cascading outage that unloaded nuclear units and triggered automatic protection systems. The incident occurred as President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Ukraine was observing a temporary energy ceasefire with Russia, mirroring a pause in strikes on energy infrastructure. The ceasefire followed a U.S. proposal, with Russia agreeing to suspend such attacks until February 1.

Key Points: Ukraine Power Grid Failure Causes Nationwide Blackout

  • Widespread outage from technical grid failure
  • Kyiv metro suspended due to low voltage
  • Energy ceasefire with Russia in effect
  • US proposed a week-long pause in attacks
2 min read

Ukraine says technological failure causes massive power outage

A technological failure triggers cascading power outages across Ukraine, halting Kyiv metro and prompting emergency measures during an energy ceasefire.

"Ukraine is ready to mirror the restraint from strikes, and today we did not attack Russian energy facilities. - Volodymyr Zelensky"

Kyiv, Jan 31

A technological failure has caused widespread power outages across Ukraine on Saturday, said Ukrainian authorities.

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram that the incident occurred at 10:42 a.m. local time (0842 GMT) and involved a simultaneous disconnection of the power lines linking the Romanian and Moldovan power systems, as well as the line between the western and central parts of Ukraine.

The failure triggered a cascading outage in Ukraine's power grid and the activation of automatic protection systems at substations, Shmyhal said, Xinhua news agency reported. Nuclear power plant units were unloaded, and emergency power outages have been imposed in several regions of Ukraine, he said.

In the capital of Kyiv, metro services were suspended due to low voltage, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said all necessary response measures in Ukraine's energy system have been put in place while restoration efforts are underway.

Earlier, Zelensky had said that Ukraine is prepared to observe an energy ceasefire with Russia that began overnight on Friday, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

"Ukraine is ready to mirror the restraint from strikes, and today we did not attack Russian energy facilities," Zelensky said in an evening address.

He added that the US had proposed a one-week pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to refrain from attacking the Ukrainian capital and other cities for a week due to the severe cold.

Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had agreed to suspend strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities until February 1 following Trump's request, according to RBC-Ukraine news outlet.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The article mentions a "technological failure" but with the ongoing conflict, it's hard not to be skeptical. Cascading grid failures are complex, but the timing is suspicious. Thoughts are with the civilians without heat in this cold.
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Aditya G
This highlights the importance of a robust and decentralized power grid. India has made great strides in grid management after past blackouts. Maybe there are lessons our experts could share? The world needs to help Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure.
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Priyanka N
Metro services suspended... reminds me of the chaos during power cuts in our cities before things improved. It's a basic necessity. The so-called "energy ceasefire" sounds fragile. Hope diplomacy works and this pause becomes permanent.
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Michael C
While the humanitarian aspect is paramount, I have to respectfully point out that the article jumps between the outage and geopolitics. It should focus more on the technical cause and restoration. The link to Trump's request, while relevant, muddies the water on what actually caused the grid failure.
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Kavya N
Nuclear plants being unloaded is a serious safety procedure. Kudos to the engineers and workers who are managing this crisis in a war zone. Their bravery is next level. Stay strong, Ukraine! 💪

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