The 2025–2026 winter is the most severe test Ukraine’s energy and humanitarian systems have faced since the full-scale invasion of 24 February 2022. Russian armed forces launched 1,225 attacks on energy infrastructure in 2025 alone — exceeding the combined total of the entire preceding three years. These strikes caused emergency power outages across most oblasts, disrupted district heating and water services, and — for the first time — permanently destroyed generation assets faster than they could be repaired.
Ukraine’s declaration of a state of emergency in the energy sector on 14 January 2026 — as temperatures in many oblasts fell to −15°C to −20°C — marked a threshold not reached in any previous heating season. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan estimates that 10.8 million people require humanitarian assistance and appeals for $2.3 billion to assist 4.1 million of the most vulnerable. Against this scale of need, the 2025 HNRP ended the year only 52 percent funded.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) confirmed that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since 2022, with 2,514 killed and 12,142 injured — a 31 percent increase over 2024. Available generation capacity has fallen to approximately 14 GW against an 18 GW winter peak demand, with all 15 large thermal power plants damaged or destroyed and 60 percent of hydropower capacity lost.
“Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis has been driven by relentless attacks — from the full-scale invasion in 2022 to the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023 to more recent massive strikes on civilian infrastructure. As the nature of this war continues to shift, humanitarian action must adapt.”
— Matthias Schmale, Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, HNRP 2026 Launch, 13 January 2026Systematic Attacks on Energy Infrastructure: October 2025 – February 2026
Russian armed forces resumed large-scale, coordinated strikes on energy facilities nationwide in October 2025, following what HRMMU describes as a seasonal pattern of intensification ahead of the cold period. Three large-scale attacks on 10, 22 and 30 October targeted energy infrastructure simultaneously across multiple oblasts, causing emergency power outages nationwide and introducing scheduled power cuts for the first time this heating season.
The single most devastating coordinated strike was on 8 November 2025: 450 exploding drones and 45 missiles simultaneously targeted 25 locations. A separate barrage in October deployed 465 drones and 32 missiles — disabling approximately 60 percent of Ukraine’s domestic gas production — followed six days later by another wave of 320 drones and 37 missiles targeting gas production facilities in northeastern Ukraine.
January 2026 brought five large-scale strikes in a single month — near-daily attacks damaging energy systems in at least 17 oblasts and Kyiv city. Combined heat and power plants providing district heating to Kyiv were struck multiple times; each attack disrupted heating to nearly 6,000 multi-storey residential buildings. A brief US-mediated pause in energy strikes over 30 January–1 February 2026 was broken when Russia destroyed Kyiv’s Darnytska CHP plant on 2–3 February — a facility providing district heating to over 1,100 apartment buildings, with repairs assessed as impossible before the heating season ends in March.
Generation Capacity, Gas Reserves, and the 2025–2026 Supply Deficit
Going into the 2025–2026 heating season, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy estimated 17.6 GW of total available generation capacity — a partial recovery from the 12 GW nadir recorded following the devastating spring 2024 attack campaign. Pre-war capacity stood at approximately 38 GW. Since then, approximately 3 GW of capacity was restored before the October 2025 attacks. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Europe’s largest — has remained offline since its occupation by Russian forces in 2022.
Gas supply presents a distinct and parallel vulnerability. Ukraine’s gas storage entered the heating season at 12.5 bcm — below the government’s target of 13.2 bcm and well below the 16 bcm accumulated by the equivalent point in 2024. The October attacks disabling ~60% of domestic gas production required emergency import procurement costing an estimated €2 billion. The World Bank estimates total damage to Ukraine’s energy sector through 2024 at over USD 20 billion, with lost revenue exceeding USD 72 billion. Full reconstruction is estimated to require at least USD 67 billion.
Ukraine’s Principal Energy Generation Facilities — October 2025 to February 2026
This section documents the operational status of Ukraine’s principal energy generation facilities across five asset types: Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), Thermal Power Plants (TPPs), Hydroelectric Plants (HPPs), Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants, and Distributed Generation/Storage. Monthly status assessments are based on confirmed strike events and official statements.
The interactive map below documents each facility’s location, status, and strike history. Read alongside the strike chronology and severity analysis, these records illustrate a cascade dynamic: attacks on transmission substations force nuclear plants to reduce output; destruction of thermal and hydro assets permanently reduces grid balancing capacity; and CHP losses simultaneously remove both electricity and district heating from millions of urban residents.
Section A — Nuclear Power Plants (4 Plants, ~13,835 MWe installed)
| Facility | Oblast | Capacity | Monthly (Oct–Feb) | Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaporizhzhia NPP | Zaporizka | 5,700 MWe | O ⚡ N ⚡ D ⚡ J ⚡ F ⚡ |
Cold Shutdown | Under Russian occupation. Multiple off-site power losses; EDGs activated for reactor cooling. Generates zero electricity for Ukrainian grid. |
| Rivne NPP | Rivnenska | 2,835 MWe | O ↓ N ↓ D ↓ J ✓ F ✓ |
Partial | Reduced output after substation attacks Oct–Dec. 23 drones/missiles near plant 31 Dec–1 Jan. Output returned to normal between incidents. |
| Khmelnytskyi NPP | Khmelnytska | 1,900 MWe | O ↓ N ↓ D ↓ J ✓ F ↓ |
Partial | 8 Nov: Kyivskaya substation destroyed. 7 Feb 2026: Mass attack; one unit automatically shut down. Units 3&4 under construction. |
| South Ukraine NPP | Mykolaivska | 2,850 MWe | O ✓ N ↓ D ✓ J ✓ F ✓ |
Operational | Multiple near-drone events. 19 Nov: HV power line lost; output temporarily constrained. Unit 2 license extended to Dec 2035. |
Section B — Thermal Power Plants (15 Plants, ~23 GW pre-war)
| Facility | Oblast | Capacity | Monthly | Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trypilska TPP | Kyivska | 1,800 MW | O ✗ N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ |
Destroyed | Destroyed spring 2024; partially rebuilt; re-damaged Sep 2025; all Centrenergo assets struck simultaneously 8 Nov 2025. |
| Zmiyivska TPP | Kharkivska | 2,150 MW | O ✗ N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ |
Destroyed | Completely destroyed spring 2024. Struck again 8 Nov 2025. Kharkiv Oblast “without large-scale heat generating capacity” (IEA). |
| Vuhlehirska TPP | Donetska | 3,600 MW | O • N • D • J • F • |
Occupied | Occupied since 25 July 2022. Ukraine’s largest coal-fired plant. Not generating for Ukrainian grid. |
| Facility | Oblast | Capacity | Monthly | Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burshtyn TPP | Ivano-Frankivska | 2,300 MW | O ! N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ! |
Damaged | 30 Oct: Struck alongside Dobrotvir and Ladyzhyn. 7 Feb 2026: Struck again — DTEK’s 10th attack on thermal plants since Oct 2025. |
| Dobrotvir TPP | Lvivska | 510 MW | O ! N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ |
Destroyed | 30 Oct: Struck; fire broke out. None operating per Global Energy Monitor (Jan 2026). Also provides heat/water to Dobrotvir village. |
| Ladyzhynska TPP | Vinnytska | 1,800 MW | O ! N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ |
Damaged | 30 Oct: Struck; nationwide emergency outages introduced. Partial restoration in subsequent months. |
| Prydniprovska TPP | Dnipropetrovska | 1,765 MW | O ↓ N ! D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ |
Partial | 8 Nov: Struck in coordinated attack. Some district heating continuing; electricity generation minimal. |
| Kryvorizka TPP | Dnipropetrovska | 2,820 MW | O ! N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ |
Destroyed | Struck in Nov 8 coordinated attack. DTEK’s largest coal-fired plant. Non-operational throughout period. |
| Zaporizka TPP | Zaporizka | 3,600 MW | O • N • D • J • F • |
Occupied | Under Russian occupation. Switchyard link with ZNPP restored 30 Dec 2025. Not generating for Ukrainian grid. |
Section C — Hydroelectric Power Plants
| Facility | Oblast | Capacity | Monthly | Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyivska HPP | Kyivska | 386 MW | O ↓ N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ | Partial | Partially active at reduced output throughout the period. |
| Kanivska HPP | Cherkaska | 444 MW | O ! N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ | Damaged | 22 Oct: Struck in mass Dnipro cascade attack (4 plants simultaneously). |
| Kremenchutska HPP | Poltavska | 625 MW | O ! N ! D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ | Damaged | 22 Oct: Dnipro cascade attack. 8 Nov: Hit again. EIB €133M supporting rehabilitation. |
| Serednyodniprovska HPP | Dnipropetrovska | 352 MW | O ! N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ | Damaged | 22 Oct: Struck in simultaneous cascade attack. Partial recovery. |
| DniproHES (HES-1 + HES-2) | Zaporizka | 1,569 MW | O ✗ N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ | Destroyed | “DniproHES is practically out of operation today.” 46 strikes by March 2025. Repair timeline: minimum 3 years. |
| Kakhovska HPP | Khersonska | 351 MW | O ✗ N ✗ D ✗ J ✗ F ✗ | Destroyed | Completely destroyed 6 June 2023. No reconstruction possible while area remains occupied. |
| Dnistrovska HPP | Chernivtska | 702 MW | O ✓ N ✓ D ✓ J ✓ F ✓ | Operational | Western Ukraine; less targeted. Operational throughout. |
| Dnistrovska PSPP | Chernivtska | 2,268 MW | O ↓ N ↓ D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ | Partial | Units 5–7 under construction. Provides critical grid balancing. Not targeted. |
Section D — Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants
| Facility | Service Area | Monthly | Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darnytska CHP (CHP-4) | Kyiv — Darnytskyi + Dniprovskyi (1,129 buildings, ~300K families) | O ! N ! D ! J ✗ F ✗ |
Destroyed | 3 Feb 2026: 5 ballistic missiles at −25°C completely destroyed thermal generation. Serves 1,129 buildings, 46 schools, 72 kindergartens, 18 medical facilities. Repair cost: USD 700M. Apartment temperatures dropped to 8–9°C. |
| CHP-5 (Troieshchyna) | Kyiv — Troieshchyna district | O ↓ N ! D ↓ J ↓ F ↓ |
Partial | Nov 2025: Major attack; multi-day heating disruptions. One of two primary Kyiv CHPs. Partially restored. |
Section E — Renewables, Distributed Generation & Battery Storage
Key Infrastructure Strike Events — October 2025 to February 2026
Civilian Harm: 2025 the Deadliest Year Since 2022
HRMMU’s annual 2025 review confirmed that 2,514 civilians were killed and 12,142 injured — a 31 percent increase over 2024 and 70 percent above 2023. The cumulative toll since the full-scale invasion stands at over 53,006 civilian casualties including at least 14,534 deaths. The vast majority — 97 percent — occurred in government-controlled territory.
Older persons were disproportionately affected: individuals aged 60+ accounted for over 45 percent of civilians killed in front-line areas in 2025. Long-range weapons caused 35 percent of all casualties (682 killed; 4,443 injured), a 65 percent increase over 2024.
2025–2026 Winter Response Plan: Coverage, Funding, and Critical Gaps
The 2025–2026 Winter Response Plan, launched 17 July 2025, requires $277.7 million to deliver multi-sectoral assistance to 1.7 million of the most vulnerable people exposed to extreme cold between October 2025 and March 2026. The plan prioritises families in front-line areas, IDPs, older persons, persons with disabilities, and female-headed households.
Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) — Three Pillars
Warm clothing, blankets, thermal items
Heaters, fuel, cash for utilities (UAH 19,400/family)
Repairs to damaged homes and collective sites
The Front-Line Crescent and the Countrywide Energy Exposure
OCHA’s 2026 HNRP confirms that front-line areas and northern border oblasts face the highest needs. Nearly 90 percent of strikes and more than half of all civilian casualties occurred within 20 km of the front line in 2025. Simultaneously, systematic strikes on national energy infrastructure have extended severe harm to major urban centres far from active hostilities — making countrywide energy exposure a defining feature of this winter.
| Oblast | Severity | Key Energy / Heating Impact | Affected Groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyiv City | Critical | State of emergency 14 Jan 2026. CHP plants struck multiple times; 6,000 buildings lose heating per strike. Darnytska CHP destroyed 2–3 Feb (1,100 buildings; no repair before March). | Older persons, PwDs (elevator outages), families with children |
| Kharkivska | Catastrophic | Near-daily attacks. All large-scale district heating generation destroyed or damaged. IDP dormitory struck Jan 2026. | IDPs in collective sites, older persons, female-headed households |
| Zaporizka | Catastrophic | ZNPP in cold shutdown. Ballistic missiles and Shahed drones on energy infrastructure. 8 missiles + 20 drones in single 30 Oct strike. | War-affected population, PwDs, nuclear plant-dependent communities |
| Khersonska | Catastrophic | Power and gas facilities struck 9 Feb 2026. Hospital damaged Jan 2026. Front-line position limits humanitarian access. | Older persons, IDPs, PwDs |
| Donetska | Catastrophic | 1,300+ evacuated over 4 days Feb 2026 including 170 children. Sustained front-line pressure; critical infrastructure attacks daily. | Older persons unable to evacuate, IDPs, children |
| Odeska | Critical | 4 Dec substation strike: multi-day outage. 95,000 without electricity after Jan 2026 drone strike. Elevator shutdowns strand older residents. | Older persons, PwDs, families in multi-storey buildings |
| Dnipropetrovska | Critical | 32+ long-range attacks Jan–Feb 2026. Emergency shutdowns; 21,000 without power from single attack. | War-affected population, IDPs in collective sites |
| Chernihivska | Severe | Entire city without electricity following Jan 2026 strike. 13,000 without power from 25 Nov attack. | Older persons, vulnerable persons in multi-storey housing |
| Mykolaivska | Severe | Energy infrastructure struck 1–2 Jan 2026. Multi-oblast outages. | War-affected population, front-line adjacent communities |
| Vinnytska | Severe | Affected by Jan 2026 energy attacks. 30 Oct strike killed 7-year-old girl and injured five civilians. | Children, families with young children |
Responding to a Protection Crisis
The 2026 HNRP, coordinated by OCHA with approximately 500 humanitarian partners, is structured around four strategic priorities replacing the former sector-by-sector approach with an issue-based framework reflecting how energy strikes cascade across shelter, WASH, health, food security, protection, and livelihoods.
From Centralised Repair to Distributed Resilience
- Energy Task Force (Feb 2026). Ukraine’s Energy Minister proposed a single international coordination framework for energy restoration. Over 50,000 repair specialists mobilised in January 2026 following the state of emergency declaration.
- Heating season pre-positioning. UHF uses the REACH Cold Spot Risk Assessment to guide early pre-positioning of S-NFI supplies in high-risk raions before peak cold onset. Cash transfer value: UAH 19,400/family for six months.
- SvitloDIM distributed generation. Government-funded autonomous solar + battery installations in 400 apartment buildings. Direct Relief’s 2,000+ Tesla Powerwalls supply hospitals and clinics with uninterrupted power.
- Invincibility Points and Resistance Points. 56 government-established stations at railways with autonomous generation, Starlink, potable water, and facilities for families. In 2025–2026, heated Resistance Points (24-hour tents) added in Kyiv and other cities.
- EU grid integration. Ukraine’s ENTSO-E synchronisation provided 2.1 GW of import capacity. Following October 2025 attacks, the European Commission announced nearly €6 billion in energy funding. Norway committed $9 billion for 2026.
- Issue-based cross-cluster winterization. The 2026 HNRP’s issue-based structure directly responds to the cascade dynamic: energy strikes simultaneously generate needs across S-NFI, WASH, Health, Protection, Food Security, and CCCM.