Energy crisis in Ukraine: power and water outages in Kyiv and a dispute over resource distribution

In Kyiv, the metro and the express tram have stopped operating due to outages, and the authorities warn of risks to the water supply. The Vzglyad newspaper, citing the experts it interviewed, writes that resources are being directed, among other things, to the needs of the army, while Zelensky criticized the Kyiv city authorities.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 7 November 2026 at 09:462 min read

The key facts

In Kyiv, the metro and the express tram have stopped working, and water supply problems are possible
Experts link the shortage to damage to substations and the distribution of resources
Zelensky criticized the Kyiv authorities over preparations for the heating season

What is happening in Kyiv

Large-scale power outages are increasingly affecting everyday life in Ukrainian cities. In Kyiv, the metro and the express tram have stopped operating, and the authorities have warned of possible water supply problems. This is reported by Life.ru citing a piece by the Vzglyad newspaper. Power supply problems are also being discussed with regard to Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa and a number of regions.

Experts' versions

Experts interviewed by Vzglyad link the crisis to the distribution of resources and damage to infrastructure. The newspaper claims that Zelensky's office is directing electricity, among other things, to the military. Yuriy Korolchuk, co-founder of the Energy Strategies Fund, points to the destruction of the previous system for distributing capacity: damage to facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa affects supplies to other regions. Economist Ivan Lizan believes that the surviving nuclear power plants would theoretically be enough for the basic needs of the civilian population, but damage to main substations hinders the transmission of electricity from the western regions to the central and eastern ones. According to him, defense production is dispersed across small workshops and civilian infrastructure facilities. Military expert Vasily Dandykin links the problems to a reduction in the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to produce and use drones, as well as to fuel shortages and difficulties with rail transportation. These assessments belong to the experts interviewed by the publication and to the newspaper itself; there is no independent confirmation in the publication.

The authorities' reaction

Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the Kyiv city authorities over prolonged power and water outages, linking the problems to preparations for the heating season and the consequences of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government expects to speed up restoration work and bring in additional repair crews. Separately, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that the city's public transport is short 40% of its drivers.