Ukraine-Crisis/Energy Shortage
Ukraine-Crisis/Energy Shortage
Dateline : Recent
Location : Ukraine
Duration : 3'16
Kiev, Ukraine - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Building, people
2. Various of elderly couple collecting water, returning home
3. Nikolai Dovgal, local resident wearing headlamp
4. Various of thermos bottle, dog
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Nikolai Dovhal, local resident (starting with shot 4/partially overlaid with shot 6/ending with shot 7):
"Lately, we've been facing a very difficult situation regarding heating, hot and cold water, and electricity. Power is supplied according to a schedule, but sometimes that schedule isn't followed, and emergency outages occur. When there is no electricity, the pumps stop working, meaning neither hot nor cold water can be supplied. The same applies to heating: since there is so often no electricity, the radiators stay cold, because the pumps that circulate the hot water rely on electricity to run."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
6. Various of Dovgal turning on faucet
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Elderly couple drinking
8. Various of apartment building
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Tetyana Dovhal, local resident (partially overlaid with shot 10):
"It's very difficult, especially for elderly people. Getting up [to their apartments] is a real struggle. We live on the 7th floor, and there are elderly people living on the 14th floor, too — and on the 12th and 13th floors as well... Some of them don't go outside at all anymore. On the 12th floor, there's a man who gets around using two canes; he has to manage the trip down and back up again, all while relying on those canes. The situation right now is extremely tough."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
10. Various of Nikolai Dovgal, Tatyana Dovgal going upstairs
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
11. Various of street, pedestrians, pharmacy, apartment buildings
12. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) local resident (name not given):
"The power is turned off for 7 or 8 hours. Then it's back on for only 2 to 2.5 hours. When there's no electricity, we have no heating at all."
13. Various of generators, traffic lights, road traffic
14. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleg Pendzyn, executive director, Economic Discussion Club:
"What is surprising — and truly striking — is that the authorities failed to prepare in time. To reiterate: in Kiev alone, there are 700 large-scale generators that, as it turns out, have not yet been placed on standby for the energy grid. Furthermore, the state-run water utility has procured a substantial number of uninterruptible power supply systems, yet these will not be installed and ready for operation until April 2027."
15. Subway station
Kiev is facing a worsening energy shortage as winter sets in, with power cuts leaving residents without heating and water for hours on end.
According to some reports, outages in certain districts can last as long as 20 hours a day.
For one elderly couple in Kiev, every day has become a test of endurance. Living on a modest pension leaves little room for maneuver, and with electricity and water available only at specific times — and even then, not always reliable — they, like many other city residents, must constantly check power-outage schedules. This allows them to stock up on essentials, prepare meals, and charge their devices before the next blackout hits.
"Lately, we've been facing a very difficult situation regarding heating, hot and cold water, and electricity. Power is supplied according to a schedule, but sometimes that schedule isn't followed, and emergency outages occur. When there is no electricity, the pumps stop working, meaning neither hot nor cold water can be supplied. The same applies to heating: since there is so often no electricity, the radiators stay cold, because the pumps that circulate the hot water rely on electricity to run," said Nikolai Dovhal, a senior citizen.
When the power goes out, high-rise apartment buildings turn into traps for those who have difficulty moving around on their own. Even a simple trip to buy bread or visit a pharmacy becomes a real challenge.
"It's very difficult, especially for elderly people. Getting up [to their apartments] is a real struggle. We live on the 7th floor, and there are elderly people living on the 14th floor, too — and on the 12th and 13th floors as well... Some of them don't go outside at all anymore. On the 12th floor, there's a man who gets around using two canes; he has to manage the trip down and back up again, all while relying on those canes. The situation right now is extremely tough," said Tetyana Dovhal, Nikolai's wife.
According to Ukrainian energy officials, the electricity situation in Kiev is currently worse than it was last winter — despite the fact that the real deep freeze has yet to arrive and the heating season is only just beginning. Moreover, many businesses have reduced their power consumption, and by some estimates around 500,000 residents have left Kiev ahead of the winter. Yet there is still a shortage of energy.
On a daily basis, by order of Ukrenergo National Power Company, emergency power outages are being implemented across various districts of Kiev. During these periods, scheduled outage timetables do not apply, and it is impossible to predict when the power will return. The situation remains extremely difficult.
"The power is turned off for 7 or 8 hours. Then it's back on for only 2 to 2.5 hours. When there's no electricity, we have no heating at all."
There is some hope for alternative energy sources. However, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has stated that the city requires 2 GW of electricity — a demand that cannot realistically be met by generators alone, as the power they produce would be prohibitively expensive. According to expert estimates, as the weather turns colder, the capital will face a shortfall of approximately 70 percent of its required energy — meaning the city will have only about a third of the electricity it needs.
"What is surprising — and truly striking — is that the authorities failed to prepare in time. To reiterate: in Kiev alone, there are 700 large-scale generators that, as it turns out, have not yet been placed on standby for the energy grid. Furthermore, the state-run water utility has procured a substantial number of uninterruptible power supply systems, yet these will not be installed and ready for operation until April 2027," said Oleg Pendzyn, an economist and also executive director of Economic Discussion Club.
Even now, members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are complaining that there is no heat or water — even within the parliament building itself — and that the power supply is intermittent. Voltage surges are causing periodic stoppages in the Kiev Metro — something that has never happened before. The unified power grid simply cannot withstand the load.
Kiev residents realize that the situation is unlikely to improve, and that the peak strain on the grid is still to come. In these circumstances, what matters most is not so much technology as the personal resilience and adaptability of each individual. The city — and indeed all of Ukraine — is set to endure one of the darkest and harshest winters in its modern history.
ID : 8507856
Published : 2026-11-12 17:03
Last Modified : 2026-11-12 19:43:17
Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
More
