Emergency Blackouts Hit Ukraine and Moldova
Emergency power cuts swept across several Ukrainian cities and neighboring Moldova on Saturday, January 31, 2026, following a significant technical malfunction in power lines connecting the two countries. Ukraine's Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, confirmed that the incident caused a 'cascading outage' within Ukraine's power grid, activating automatic protection systems.
The malfunction, which occurred at approximately 10:42 a.m., involved a 400-kilovolt line between Romania and Moldova, and a 750-kilovolt line linking western and central Ukraine, both of which were de-energized.
Affected Regions and Immediate Impacts
In Ukraine, blackouts were reported in the capital Kyiv, as well as the Zhytomyr and Kharkiv regions. Emergency power cut schedules were swiftly introduced in these areas. The outage had immediate and severe consequences:
- Water supplies to Kyiv were cut.
- Kyiv's subway system was temporarily suspended due to low voltage on the network, with metro trains also stopping in Kharkiv.
- Chernihiv and Zhytomyr switched their water utilities to backup power.
- Nuclear power plant units in Ukraine had to be unloaded as a result of the cascading failure.
Moldova also experienced extensive power outages, including in its capital, Chisinau, where most districts were left without electricity. Moldovan officials reported that even traffic lights in Chisinau were not functioning. Furthermore, border traffic between Ukraine and Moldova was temporarily suspended due to a malfunction in the central databases of Moldovan customs authorities.
Official Response and Restoration Efforts
Moldova's Energy Minister, Dorin Junghietu, stated that the automatic protection system in Moldova was triggered 'due to the loss of power lines on the territory of Ukraine,' and encouraged the population to 'stay calm until electricity is restored.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has tasked his government with stabilizing the energy sector in the near future.
Energy workers in both countries commenced immediate efforts to restore power, with officials forecasting that electricity supply would be reinstated within the next few hours. This incident occurs amidst a challenging winter for Ukraine, which has seen its energy grid repeatedly targeted by Russian strikes in recent weeks. However, this particular event was attributed to a technical malfunction rather than new attacks.
5 Comments
Africa
So much for a stable power grid. This winter is brutal for them, regardless of cause.
ZmeeLove
It's positive that officials are transparent about the cause and working swiftly to fix it, yet the frequency of such events, regardless of origin, underscores the immense pressure on their power systems. International support for grid resilience is vital.
Coccinella
It's a relief this wasn't another targeted attack, but a technical fault causing such widespread outages still highlights significant vulnerabilities in the energy infrastructure. They need robust solutions beyond just repair.
Comandante
This incident shows the interconnectedness of regional power grids and the potential for widespread impact from even non-hostile events. While not an attack, it still adds to the cumulative stress on an already embattled populace.
Bella Ciao
Despite everything, their grid is resilient. They'll get through this too.