Russia has seemingly resumed its coordinated campaign against Ukraine’s power grid, hitting critical power infrastructure in Slavutych on 1 October. As a result, Chernihiv and other northern Ukraine’s areas have been forced into rolling blackouts, water shortages, and heating shutdowns. Russia also hit energy facilities in one more region on the same day.
Russia resumes coordinated attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure
According to Chernihiv City Council, most of the city’s boiler stations were not operating as of 2 October because of the loss of electricity after Russian drones struck an energy facility in Slavutych.
Following the Russian attack, only six boiler stations were restarted in Chernihiv city districts where electricity was restored, allowing limited hot water supply. In the rest of the city, heating systems remain idle.
The local water utility said it is using alternative power sources to keep water and sewage systems running but warned of temporary disruptions. Booster pump stations stop during blackouts, leaving apartments above the fifth floor without water. Residents have been asked to store drinking water.
Officials stated that even consumers not included in the rolling outage schedule are now losing electricity to prevent a complete blackout of all subscribers.
“This means that everyone will have less time with electricity, and part of those who were not in the schedules will also be disconnected,” the city council said.
Street lighting has already been turned off for more than a week to save power. Thanks to alternative energy sources, some traffic lights and the alert system still work, while electric transport continues in regular mode. However, from 3 October changes will be made to trolleybus route No. 11.
Schools move online, kindergartens follow for 3 October
The local energy company Chernihivoblenergo confirmed additional power cuts not included in the hourly schedules because of severe network overload after Russia’s 1 October attack.
The company said the grid cannot simultaneously supply even the small number of consumers allocated under the normal rolling blackout plan. Energy workers are working around the clock to restart facilities damaged by strikes.
Russian attack on Slavutych also caused Chornobyl blackout
Ukrainian President said that the blackout at the decommissioned Chornobyl nuclear power plant lasted over three hours after the Russian drone strike on Slavutych on 1 October. The New Safe Confinement, which isolates the destroyed fourth reactor at Chornobyl, temporarily ceased operation due to power loss. This facility is a key element of environmental safety, and power outages there create potential risks. Fires also broke out in Slavutych after the strike.
Impact on other oblasts
On 1 October, Sumy Oblast reported partial power outages in Kostiantynivka and Shostka districts after damage to critical infrastructure.
On the same day in Dnipro, residents observed a bright flash in the sky just before electricity interruptions. However, DTEK Dniprovski Electric Networks told Suspilne that no damage or short-circuits were recorded, while astronomer Liudmyla Marchenko told Suspilne the flash was unlikely connected to a comet or meteorite.
Russia’s 2022-2024 campaigns
Russia’s most systematic campaign against Ukraine’s power grid took place during the 2022–2023 winter, when repeated strikes on power generation and distribution infrastructure caused prolonged blackouts for millions. Further on, targeted attacks on thermal and hydroelectric power plants turned Ukraine from an electricity exporter into an importer.