Ukraine close to humanitarian catastrophe without energy ceasefire
Ukraine is on the brink of "a humanitarian catastrophe" after months of Russian airstrikes on the energy system, and any future peace agreement must include a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, Maksym Tymchenko, CEO of DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine, has said.
Source: Reuters
Details: Tymchenko said Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, has conducted a campaign of "energy terror" since October 2025, striking power plants and overloading air defence systems.
The authorities report that Kyiv and the surrounding regions have been hardest hit, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has urged residents to temporarily leave if possible.
Quote from Tymchenko: "We need an energy ceasefire. A ceasefire on the energy assets. How can you talk about peace and [keep] attacking people, and knowing that people are freezing? How can these things go in parallel?"
Details: Tymchenko noted that Ukraine has experienced two weeks of temperatures between -15 and -20 degrees Celsius, during which Russia has targeted its gas transportation, storage and production facilities. Russia claims it is striking military and energy infrastructure supposedly used by Ukrainian forces.
Quote from Tymchenko: "We are close to a humanitarian catastrophe. People get power for 3-4 hours, then a 10- to 15-hour break. We have apartment blocks [that have been] without heat for weeks already."
Details: He added that Ukraine is holding on thanks to gas imports, including from the US, as the attacks force its own gas, coal and hydropower plants to operate below capacity. DTEK has lost 60-70% of its generating capacity and suffered hundreds of millions of dollars of damage.
Tymchenko estimated the cost of rebuilding Ukraine's energy system at US$65-70 billion, citing World Bank assessments. He noted that in many cases entirely new assets are needed: "This is more about building a new energy system in Ukraine than just reconstruction."
He said US asset manager BlackRock has recently become a key player in preparing the US-Ukraine plan for recovery.
Tymchenko stressed the need to move faster on decentralising generation, including by introducing new solar projects, green energy parks and storage systems, as dispersed assets are harder to hit with drones and missiles. "We cannot count on a peace deal being signed. We need to start preparing today," he added, calling for critical equipment to be stockpiled and air defences strengthened.
Background:
- As of 18:00 on 23 January, 1,200 apartment buildings in Kyiv remain without heating and are being reconnected for the second time following Russian attacks on 9 and 20 January.
- On the morning of 23 January, 1,940 apartment buildings in Kyiv were still without heating.
- Klitschko urged residents who can do so to leave the city and advised those who stay to stock up on food, water and medicines, saying the situation is difficult and could get worse.
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