Wiktor Wise
Ukraine's electricity sector has been under significant strain due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, with Russia targeting critical power infrastructure in waves of missile and drone strikes. These attacks have resulted in the destruction of some energy infrastructure and a decrease in Ukraine's electricity-generating capacity. However, Ukraine has been working to rebuild its energy grid, aiming for a more resilient and sustainable system. The country's electricity generation is primarily nuclear, with over 70% of its electricity coming from nuclear power as of 2024. Ukraine also has a diversified energy mix, with gas, oil, coal, and renewables like wind, solar, and hydropower playing a role in its energy supply.
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What You'll Learn
Ukraine's electricity generation
Ukraine has a diversified energy mix, with no single fuel taking up more than a third of the country's energy sources. The country's electricity generation is primarily from nuclear power, fossil fuels, and renewable energy sources.
Nuclear power is the most significant source of electricity in Ukraine, with over 70% of electricity generation coming from nuclear reactors as of 2024. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, is located in Ukraine. However, due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine's nuclear fuel supply has been disrupted, and the country is no longer heavily reliant on Russia for this fuel.
Fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, also play a crucial role in Ukraine's energy mix. Ukraine extracts about 20 billion cubic meters of fossil gas annually, meeting almost all of its demand. In 2021, Ukraine produced 19.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with a domestic demand of 27.3 billion cubic meters. To meet this demand, Ukraine relied on gas imports and withdrawals from underground storage. Ukraine's gas network has significant storage capacity, which can be utilised for storing Europe's gas to balance supply and demand. Additionally, Ukraine has historically been associated with coal mining, especially in the coal-rich Donets basin. However, the coal industry has been disrupted by the war, and coal now plays a lesser role in the country's energy mix.
Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydropower, are also part of Ukraine's electricity generation. In 2020, 10% of the country's electricity was generated from renewables, with 5% from hydropower, 4% from wind, and 1% from solar. The share of renewables is expected to increase, with an analysis in 2024 suggesting that solar and wind power could replace or exceed the generation capacity damaged or destroyed during the war. Additionally, microgrids, rooftop solar, and mobile generators have been utilised in cities like Kharkiv, providing backup power and contributing to the resilience of the energy system.
Ukraine's electricity sector has proven resilient in the face of challenges. Despite repeated attacks on its power grid, Ukraine has excelled in conducting rapid repairs, restoring power to half a million citizens within 24 hours of the 2024 Christmas attacks. The country has prioritised resilience and sustainability, adapting its energy grid to become greener and more efficient.
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Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war
Ukraine has a diversified energy mix, with gas and nuclear energy being the main sources of electricity, followed by oil and coal. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is located in Ukraine.
The Russia-Ukraine war has had a significant impact on electricity in Ukraine. Russia has launched waves of missile and drone strikes against energy infrastructure in Ukraine as part of its invasion strategy. These attacks have targeted civilian areas beyond the battlefield, particularly critical power infrastructure, which is considered a war crime. By mid-2024, Ukraine had only a third of its pre-war electricity-generating capacity, and some gas distribution and district heating had been affected. On 10 October 2022, Russia attacked the power grid throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv, with a wave of 84 cruise missiles and 24 suicide drones. Further attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure caused widespread blackouts, with nearly half of the country's power grid out of commission by 19 November 2022, leaving 10 million Ukrainians without electricity.
The strikes on power stations inflicted large economic and practical costs on Ukraine. They were intended to demoralize the population and force Ukrainian leadership to capitulate. However, this strategy has been widely deemed a failure and has been condemned by Western groups as "barbaric" and "horrific and indiscriminate." The International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted four Russian officials for war crimes connected with attacks against civilian infrastructure.
The war has disrupted the coal industry, and as of 2024, over 70% of Ukraine's electricity generation is nuclear. Ukraine's nuclear power plants are vulnerable to the instability of the electrical grid, and there are concerns about their safety. The decision to shut down nuclear plants may not be entirely in Ukraine's control, as the country has submitted to heightened oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Protecting the grid's key substations has become a critical priority for the Ukrainian state.
Ukraine has struggled to meet electricity demand, with frequent outages and widespread residential blackouts. In 2024, Ukrainian households experienced nearly 2,000 hours of electricity outages, with power down 25% of the time in November and nearly 40% in December. Ukraine can import some electricity from neighbouring EU countries, but existing agreements do not allow for sufficient imports to meet demand.
The Russia-Ukraine war has also had a broader impact on global energy markets, spurring a global energy crisis and leading to significant price surges. Oil and gas have continued to flow from Russia to Europe, and energy prices have risen sharply, benefiting Russia and other oil and gas producers. However, there is a prediction that by 2024, Europe will have cut its gas imports from Russia by two-thirds, and prices are expected to remain relatively high until new projects come online. The invasion of Ukraine has also accelerated Europe's transition to a lower-carbon economy, as it seeks to reduce its gas needs by substituting electricity from renewables for home heating and transportation.
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Nuclear power
Until the 2010s, all of Ukraine's nuclear fuel came from Russia. However, since then, Ukraine has sought to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel. As a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War, some of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed, but wind farms and solar power have proven to be more resilient due to their distributed nature.
Due to repeated attacks on Ukraine's power grid by Russia, the country's electrical grid has become increasingly reliant on nuclear power. As of 2025, Ukraine's electrical grid is 70% reliant on three complexes of nuclear reactors: Rivne (four reactors), South Ukraine (three reactors), and Khmelnitsky (two reactors). These nuclear power plants have not been directly targeted by Russia due to the risk of releasing radioactive contaminants.
To improve the resilience of its electrical grid, Ukraine has imported over 1.5 million power generators and purchased 200 megawatts of energy storage. The country has also implemented decentralized power systems and distributed power generation, with a focus on small renewables like microgrids, rooftop solar, and mobile generators. These efforts have made Ukraine's energy sector more resilient and sustainable, despite the challenges posed by the war.
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Energy imports and exports
Ukraine has a diversified energy mix, with gas and nuclear power being the main sources of energy, followed by oil and coal. Most gas and oil is imported, but Ukraine has been seeking to diversify its energy supply since 2015.
In 2022, almost a fifth of Ukraine's total energy supply was from oil, and most energy imports were oil products such as gasoline and diesel. Gasoline and diesel now come from ports in Poland and Romania, whereas previously they were supplied from Russia and Belarus. Ukraine extracts about 20 billion cubic meters of fossil gas each year, and since 2022 this has almost met demand. In 2021, Ukraine produced 19.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas, but to satisfy domestic demand, it relied on gas imports and withdrawals from underground storage.
Ukraine has the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Until the 2010s, all of Ukraine's nuclear fuel came from Russia, but now most of it does not. In 2022, due to repeated attacks on Ukraine's power grid, the majority of the country's electricity generation came from nine nuclear power plants arranged in three complexes: Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnitsky.
In terms of renewable energy, in 2020, 10% of Ukraine's electricity was generated from renewables, including hydro, wind, and solar power. In 2024, researchers at ETH Zurich found that solar and wind power could replace or substantially exceed the generation capacity that had been damaged or destroyed in most regions of Ukraine. Ukraine's renewable energy potential is large but underdeveloped.
To improve energy security, Ukraine has imported over 1.5 million power generators and purchased 200 megawatts of energy storage to increase grid resilience. Some energy infrastructure has been destroyed in the war, but wind farms, solar power, and batteries are thought to be resilient because they are distributed.
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Renewable energy sources
Ukraine's energy mix is diverse, with no fuel constituting more than a third of the country's energy sources. In 2024, over 70% of electricity generation came from nuclear power, with the remaining sources being gas, oil, and coal. However, Ukraine has significant potential for renewable energy sources, which currently make up less than 5% of the energy mix.
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is located in Ukraine. Until the 2010s, all of Ukraine's nuclear fuel came from Russia, but this is no longer the case. Nuclear power generation is inflexible, and the repeated attacks on Ukraine's power grid during the Russo-Ukrainian War have threatened the safety of nuclear reactors.
Analyses have shown that solar and wind power could replace or exceed the generation capacity that has been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine. The shift towards distributed and small renewable energy sources has been driven by the war situation, and it has resulted in a more resilient and sustainable energy system.
Ukraine has imported over 1.5 million power generators and purchased 200 megawatts of energy storage to increase grid resilience. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has recommended a decentralized electricity system that integrates renewables, batteries, and modular gas turbines to improve the grid's resilience further.
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Frequently asked questions
Ukraine has a diversified energy mix, with gas and nuclear energy being the most prominent sources.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in repeated attacks on the country's power infrastructure, causing significant damage to the electrical grid. By mid-2024, Ukraine's electricity generation capacity had declined to a third of its pre-war level.
Ukraine has focused on building a more resilient and sustainable energy sector. This includes adopting distributed power systems, importing power generators, and investing in energy storage solutions. The country has also shifted away from Russian energy sources and is exploring renewable energy options.
Ukraine is working towards a more decentralized and flexible energy system, integrating renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. The country aims to rebuild its energy grid to become more resilient to future attacks and attract investment in the energy sector.
