Ukraine’s energy boss says Ukraine is struggling to maintain power supplies amid Russian attacks

The chief executive of Ukraine’s largest energy supplier has told the BBC that the company is in a permanent state of crisis due to Russia’s attack on the power grid.

Maxim Timchenko, whose DTEK company supplies electricity to 5.6 million Ukrainians, said strikes were so frequent “we simply don’t have time to recover” as much of Ukraine is suffering from prolonged power outages as temperatures drop.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russia knows winter cold can become one of its most dangerous weapons.

“Every night Ukrainian parents hold their children in basements and shelters hoping that our air defense systems will hold up,” he told the Dutch parliament.

As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches, Maksim Timchenko says his company is finding it difficult to respond to repeated Russian attacks on DTEK’s energy grid with “drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles”.

Tens of thousands of people in the southern city of Odessa have been without power for three days this week after a coordinated Russian attack.

“Life is difficult, but people are very supportive of each other,” said Yana, one of those lucky enough to still have power. She invites friends to her house to charge their phones.

The outage also cut off heat and water, and Yana said those who remained connected to the grid offered strangers the opportunity to bathe or bathe.

Electricity is rationed across Ukraine – only a few hours a day.

Many Ukrainians rely on power banks and generators as backup, and the sound of generators in the capital is now more constant than air-raid sirens.

Kyiv resident Tetiana said the first thing she does in the morning is check her phone to see when the power is available each day. Like many people, she invested in a power bank to make her life more comfortable:

“You need to remember to leave your power bank on when you leave the house so you can charge them when you get home.”

Currently, about 50% of Ukraine’s energy is provided by three large nuclear power plants in central and western Ukraine. But the network that carries the power has been severely damaged.

DTEK operates approximately 10 power stations, most of which run on coal.

One of them was recently hit by five 5 ballistic missiles, and Timchenko said some of their power plants and substations are attacked “every three or four days.”

“I can’t remember a day that didn’t come in with reports of damage to our grid.”

Finding spare parts to repair damaged equipment has become a major challenge.

The energy supplier used to be able to source equipment from within Ukraine, but now must source replacement parts elsewhere in Europe.

This year DTEK has had to spend $166m (£123m) to repair damaged thermal power plants and coal facilities.

“We will not give up,” insists Maxim Timchenko: “We have the responsibility to provide electricity and heat to millions of mothers”.

DTEK’s origins are in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine, where fighting is fiercest and power supply disruptions are greatest.

Eight engineers died on the job.

“They risk their lives every day to keep power in the region,” Mr. Timchenko said.

Additional reporting by Anastasia Levchenko and Kyla Herrmannsen.