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Widespread blackout hits Kyiv and parts of Ukraine on January 31, affecting even Moldova
What happened
On the morning of Saturday, January 31, Kyiv experienced a sudden power outage, which also caused disruptions to heating and water supply. Reports of emergency power cuts soon followed from other regions across Ukraine.
The Ministry of Energy explained that the outages were caused by emergency disconnections initiated by Ukrenergo. Officially, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions were affected. Energy officials assured the public that the situation is expected to stabilize quickly.
"According to experts, electricity should be restored within the next 2–3 hours," the ministry said.
Cause of the blackout
The large-scale failure was triggered by a technical fault at 10:42 a.m. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, two major transmission lines tripped simultaneously:
400 kV line between the energy systems of Romania and Moldova
750 kV line connecting Western and Central Ukraine
This led to a cascade of outages and the activation of automatic protection systems at substations. Some nuclear power plant units were unloaded as a precaution.
"Ukrenergo is working to restore power. Electricity will be back within a few hours," Shmyhal said.
Impact in Kyiv and other cities
- Kyiv: Metro and surface electric transport stopped; water supply and heating were disrupted. The Kyiv City Express was temporarily halted but quickly stabilized.
- Kharkiv: Metro and electric transport completely stopped; emergency power cuts were implemented.
- Vinnytsia: The entire city lost water due to power failure at pumping stations.
- Zhytomyr: Pumping stations switched to backup power to restore water supply.
- Chernihiv: Water and heating stations running on generators; electric transport halted.
- Poltava: Possible water outages or low pressure in some districts.
- Konotop (Sumy region): Water supply scheduled due to energy shortage.
Rail transport
Minor disruptions occurred due to external power loss on railway lines. Ukrzaliznytsia reports that commuter trains are now operating with minimal delays.
Other regions
Emergency power cuts are also in effect in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Khmelnytskyi regions.
Blackout in Moldova
The blackout affected parts of Moldova, including Chișinău and its suburbs (Stăuceni, Durlești, Vatra), as well as Taraclia, Căușeni, and Noi Aneni.
According to Moldova’s Energy Minister Dorin Zunghețu, the cause was the situation in Ukraine.
"Due to serious problems in Ukraine’s power grid, voltage dropped on the 400 kV Isaccea–Vulcănești line, leading to an emergency shutdown of the energy system," he said.
Local operator Moldelectrica is working to restore power as quickly as possible.
