In Zaporizhzhia, homes equipped with electric heating will not be disconnected from the power supply during the 2026/2027 winter period as part of hourly blackout schedules. This was announced at a briefing by Zoreslava Tsuprenko, spokesperson for JSC "Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo," as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to her, since the winter of 2026, such residential buildings have been effectively classified as critical infrastructure objects, and this status will serve as the basis for their exemption from rolling blackouts in the current heating season.

Regulatory framework: decision made, documents under preparation

Zoreslava Tsuprenko clarified that the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration is currently working on updating the regulatory framework. The documents in preparation are intended to legally enshrine the rule whereby homes with electric heating are not subject to hourly power outages during the winter. The spokesperson emphasized that while the regulatory acts governing this procedure are still under preparation, the operational decision to maintain power supply to such homes has already been made and will take effect as temperatures drop.

Heating season in Zaporizhzhia started on November 1

The heating season in Zaporizhzhia began on November 1, 2026, similar to several other Ukrainian cities. The startup of boiler houses was planned in phases: all heat sources were to be engaged by November 9, and municipal services estimated that full connection of all consumers could take up to two weeks. The standard order of heat supply is to prioritize social institutions—schools, hospitals, kindergartens—before moving to residential buildings.

Region reports winter readiness

The Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration (OVA) previously reported full regional readiness for the heating season. According to the authority, more than 4,500 residential buildings, 320 social institutions, 158 boiler houses, and over 500 kilometers of heating networks have been prepared for winter. These figures reflect the scale of the infrastructure required to ensure heat supply for the city and region, especially where consumers rely on electricity for heating.

Risks to the energy system: substation attacks

RBC-Ukraine previously reported that during extreme cold, small Ukrainian towns could remain without electricity for several days due to Russian attacks on key substations. An expert cited by the publication noted that the risk of prolonged outages is particularly high in settlements dependent on a single substation, whereas large cities like Zaporizhzhia possess a more developed and diversified energy system. In this context, the decision not to disconnect homes with electric heating becomes critically important: for their residents, losing electricity in freezing weather represents a direct threat to health and safety.

What this means for residents

For Zaporizhzhia residents whose homes are equipped with electric heating, the decision means that even during the implementation of winter rolling blackouts, their homes will remain connected to the grid. This mitigates the risk of sudden drops in indoor temperature during the coldest weeks of the season. At the same time, the energy company and the regional administration emphasize that the formalization of this procedure in regulatory documents is still pending, and residents are advised to monitor official regional administration resources for updates.