--- title: "Frost and attacks: Ukraine's small towns risk being without power for several days" description: "Electricity consumption is rising in Ukraine as frosts arrive. Expert Oleksandr Kharchenko estimates that some small towns risk being left without power for several days due to Russian attacks." date: 2026-11-05T15:18:17.332Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/frost-attacks-ukraine-small-towns-risk-power-outages tags: [ukraine-energy, blackouts, russian-attacks, power-grid, winter] author: "Darya Fomina" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Frost and attacks: Ukraine's small towns risk being without power for several days ![A woman in a bathrobe lights a gas stove with a match in a dark apartment during a power outage](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/05/moryzy-i-ataki-malye-goroda-ukrainy-risk-bez-sveta/moryzy-i-ataki-malye-goroda-ukrainy-risk-bez-sveta-1.webp) ## Key Points - With the arrival of frost in Ukraine, electricity consumption and the load on the grid increase. - According to Oleksandr Kharchenko, in Kyiv, schedules may include 12 hours of light and 12 without, while in other cities it ranges from no restrictions to three days without power due to attacks. - Small towns, where power supply depends on one substation, are the most vulnerable; replacing damaged equipment takes time. - The Konotop, Sumy region case, where the city was without power for five days after strikes on three key substations, serves as an example. - Large cities, such as Dnipro, face lower risks of long-term outages due to a more developed energy system. With the onset of persistent frosts, electricity consumption in Ukraine is naturally rising: room heating and the operation of household appliances create an additional load on the grid. Against this backdrop, experts estimate that some small towns risk being left without power for several days in a row. This was stated in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine by Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center. ### Outage scenarios: from Kyiv to small towns According to Kharchenko, in Kyiv, during frosts, the restriction schedules may include a regime of "12 hours with light and 12 hours without." However, the picture differs significantly in other settlements: some towns may have no restrictions at all, while others, due to a Russian strike on energy infrastructure, could be without electricity for up to three days. "Somewhere there may be no restrictions at all, somewhere because of an attack there may be three days without electricity," the expert emphasized. ### Why small towns are the most vulnerable The situation poses a particular danger for small towns, where power supply often depends on a single substation. If the equipment is damaged as a result of a Russian strike, it needs to be replaced: this requires delivering alternative equipment and installing it, which takes time. That is why the restoration of power supply in such settlements can take days rather than hours. ### The Konotop example: five days without electricity Kharchenko cited the recent situation in Konotop, Sumy region, as a clear example of such vulnerability. After enemy strikes that damaged three key substations, the city remained without electricity for five days. This case, according to the expert, demonstrates how a local strike on bottleneck points of the energy system can deprive an entire territory of light for a long time. ### Large cities in a safer zone At the same time, the risks of such long-term outages are noticeably lower in large cities. For example, in Dnipro, according to Kharchenko, the energy system is more developed, which reduces the probability of a multi-day absence of power supply even in conditions of frosts and attacks. The difference in stability between small and large settlements is thus determined primarily by the architecture of their power grids. Thus, with the arrival of cold weather, the load on the Ukrainian energy system increases, and the consequences of Russian strikes on substations are felt most acutely in small towns. Experts emphasize: the more "narrow" and centralized the power supply of a settlement, the longer the restoration may take after equipment damage. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Некоторые города в Украине могут оставаться без света по три дня из-за атак РФ, - Харченко](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/deyaki-mista-ukrayini-mozhut-zalishatisya-1793891564.html) - Primary source: commentary by Oleksandr Kharchenko, Director of the Energy Research Center. Figures (12/12 in Kyiv, up to 3 days in small towns, 5 days in Konotop, three substations) are provided verbatim from the source text. The assessment is an expert forecast, hence the 'with caveats' status. ## FAQ ### What kind of outage regime is possible in Kyiv during frosts? According to Oleksandr Kharchenko, Kyiv schedules may include 12 hours with power and 12 hours without. ### Why are small towns more vulnerable to long-term outages? In small towns, power supply often depends on one substation. If equipment is damaged by a strike, it must be replaced, and the delivery and installation of alternative equipment take time. ### What example of long-term outages did the expert provide? Kharchenko mentioned the situation in Konotop, Sumy region: after strikes that damaged three key substations, the city was without electricity for five days. ### How much safer are large cities? According to the expert, in large cities, such as Dnipro, the risks of multi-day outages are lower due to a more developed energy system.