Testing the resilience of the energy sector: what the first mass outages have taught us

The massive missile and drone attacks that took place in the fall of 2025 were one of the most difficult challenges for the Ukrainian energy system since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The aggressor is delivering targeted strikes on power generation facilities and energy infrastructure, including substations, transmission, and distribution networks. The objective is clear: to disable key elements of the country's unified energy system.

However, despite the losses and constant damage, this system remains operational and manageable.

The balance is under attack: losses and deficits

It should be understood that the full restoration of destroyed and damaged facilities can take months, and, in the case of large generating enterprises, even years. Thermal power plants and key substations were particularly affected, which led to prolonged power supply restrictions in a number of regions.