The Russian economy is entering 2026 in a state of critical overstrain, forcing the Kremlin to plan cuts in military spending. This comes amid renewed diplomatic contacts mediated by the United States.
The Russian government eased restrictions on fuel exports, allowing oil refineries to export gasoline until the end of July 2026. This decision was made amid the stabilization of the domestic market and the accumulation of sufficient reserves.
DTEK announced the restoration of electricity to critical infrastructure in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Power has already started to be restored in Kyiv region, while work continues in Dnipropetrovsk region.
At all Ukrainian checkpoints on the border with Moldova, border control is carried out as usual. However, due to black ice, the processing of cargo vehicles has been suspended at some checkpoints.
In Kyiv, metro operations are resuming on all three lines. Critical infrastructure facilities have been energized, and water pressure in the water and heat supply system is being restored.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that power supply has been restored to critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kyiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. In Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Odesa regions, power is being returned to people.
The Center for Countering Disinformation reports on a systemic housing and communal services crisis in Russia, which has reached the scale of a national disaster. Since the beginning of January, critical accidents have left hundreds of thousands of Russians without heat and light.
DTEK announced the restoration of electricity supply to Kyiv's critical infrastructure. Restoration is being carried out in stages to avoid network overload.
Ukraine's energy system is gradually recovering after a systemic accident caused by the disconnection of high-voltage lines. Energy workers are working to restore power, and electricity supply will return within the next few hours.
In Ukraine, there was a serious cascading system failure, not a national blackout, said the former head of NEC "Ukrenergo". The incident could have been related to the disconnection of the 400 kV power line between Moldova and Romania.
Due to a systemic accident in Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Chernihiv region is completely de-energized. The region is preparing for a complete transition to backup power if the situation does not stabilize.
The emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system occurred due to technological reasons on the lines between Ukraine and Moldova. This caused cascading outages, and power is promised to be restored in the coming hours.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has provided recommendations on the safe use of charging stations during power outages. Following these rules will help avoid dangerous situations.
Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu stated that electricity supply in the country will be restored within one to two hours. This happened due to the activation of the power grid protection system in Ukraine, which caused a partial blackout in Moldova.
The Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office and the BEB ensured the return of UAH 36 million to the state budget in January 2026. The funds were received within five criminal proceedings regarding tax evasion.
President Zelenskyy reported an emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system due to technological reasons on the lines between the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova. Energy Minister Shmyhal explained that a technological disruption between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine caused cascading outages, nuclear power plant units were unloaded, and power will be restored in the coming hours.
A technological disruption with the disconnection of power transmission lines between Romania and Moldova and in Ukraine caused a cascading outage of the power system. Emergency shutdown schedules have been applied in Kyiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions.
The Ministry of Energy announced emergency power outages in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions. According to forecasts, electricity supply will be restored within the next 2-3 hours.
In Kyiv, due to an accident in the power system, there is no water supply. Power engineers and Kyivvodokanal specialists are working to restore it.
Ukrainian businesses include generator payments in bills due to power outages. Legislation requires consumers to be informed of such payments in advance.
Power supply on the railway has been restored in almost all regions, trains are running on schedule. Kyiv City Express has resumed service with 20-30 minute delays.
A massive power outage has occurred in Moldova, including the capital Chisinau. Moldova's Minister of Energy stated that the cause is serious problems in the Ukrainian power grid.
Emergency power outages occurred in Kyiv and a number of regions of Ukraine, the metro stopped, and water supply disruptions arose. The reason is damage to the energy system as a result of Russian attacks.
Due to bad weather, 617 settlements in four regions of Ukraine were de-energized. The Odesa region was most affected, with 363 settlements left without electricity.
In 2025, the Bureau of Economic Security seized fuel, vouchers, and equipment worth over UAH 250 million, which is three times more than in 2024. Last year, BEB detectives seized over 3,000 tons of fuel and dismantled 76 gas stations.
A 66-year-old Kyivteploenergo employee died while working at a critical infrastructure facility. Forensic experts will determine the cause of death.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported a record daily volume of electricity imports to Ukraine – 41. 987 GWh. This helped maintain the system amidst Russian attacks and frosts, reducing the deficit.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his loyalty to Donald Trump, is offering an "olive branch" to partners in the EU. This move comes amid rumors of his meeting with Trump, which reportedly did not meet Fico's expectations.
The government has decided to automatically recalculate utility payments if services were not provided or were of inadequate quality. Consumers do not need to submit additional applications; the recalculated amounts will be reflected in the January 2026 bills.
The situation with mobile communications in the regions of Ukraine currently directly depends on the operation of the energy system: planned and emergency power outages affect equipment power, and massive shelling of energy infrastructure by the Russian Federation has made electricity supply in many regions unpredictable.
