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Ukraine experiences large-scale power outage after technical fault between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine
On the morning of January 31, a technical fault occurred between the power systems of Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, causing a simultaneous grid disconnection and triggering a cascade of electricity outages.
The information comes from a Telegram post by Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal.
"At 10:42 today, a technical fault caused the simultaneous disconnection of the 400 kV line between the Romanian and Moldovan energy systems and the 750 kV line connecting Western and Central Ukraine," Shmyhal reported.
According to the minister, this led to cascading outages across Ukraine’s power grid and triggered automatic protections at substations. Some nuclear power plant units were unloaded as a precaution. Currently, special emergency power cut schedules have been implemented in Kyiv, Kyiv region, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions.
"Ukrenergo engineers are working to restore electricity. Power will be back within a few hours," Shmyhal added.
The Ministry of Energy noted that, according to experts, electricity should be restored within 2–3 hours.
President Zelensky’s response
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he had already received reports from Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Energy Minister Shmyhal regarding the emergency situation.
"All necessary measures at the level of Ukraine’s energy system are in place, and restoration work is underway. The goal is to stabilize the situation as soon as possible," the president said.
Scope of the blackout
On the morning of January 31, emergency power cuts were introduced across several regions of Ukraine, although in some areas the planned schedules were not applied.
In Kyiv and Kharkiv, metro train services were suspended due to the power outage. In Kyiv and other cities, water supply was also disrupted.
The blackout also affected Moldova, where voltage dropped on the high-voltage Isaccea–Vulcănești line due to serious problems in Ukraine’s energy system.
Power outages were reported in Chișinău and its suburbs, as well as in Taraclia, Căușeni, and Anenii Noi.
