Kyiv is facing a deepening energy crisis as Russian missile attacks continue to target the city’s power infrastructure ahead of winter. Since early October, Kyiv has endured power outages, fluctuating water pressure, and intermittent disruptions to daily life, heightening concerns among its three million residents about coping during the cold months of what is now the fifth year of conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia has launched over 170 strikes on the country’s energy system since a ceasefire proposal announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump on October 11 failed to take effect. The attacks focus heavily on power plants and related infrastructure, aiming to sap civilian morale amid Moscow’s stalled military advances in eastern Ukraine.
The scarcity of Patriot missile interceptors, key in defending against Russia’s ballistic missile assaults, has further strained Kyiv’s ability to maintain security. A global shortage, attributed in part to broader geopolitical tensions including the U.S.-Iran conflict, has slowed delivery of these critical defense systems. Zelensky highlighted Russia’s exploitation of this delay to intensify attacks on urban centers.
In Kyiv, power outages cause subway trains to grind to a halt underground, and many households experience drops in water pressure. Generators operate to keep essential services running, but residents face persistent uncertainty. Olha Soloviova, a Kyiv mother of two, described adopting strategies to cope with the shortages, including purchasing only dairy products that can be consumed within a day, relying on power banks and handheld lights, and considering acquiring a Starlink internet terminal for connectivity despite reservations about the company’s management policies.
Starlink, operated by SpaceX, remains a vital communications link for civilians, although restrictions on the Ukrainian military’s use of the satellite internet system—allegedly imposed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk—have caused dissatisfaction within Ukraine. Transitioning away from Starlink to alternative systems such as OneWeb would require replacing a large number of proprietary terminals, posing logistical challenges.
In response to these difficulties, Ukraine and Finland announced a joint €300 million aid package to integrate Kyiv into a forthcoming satellite communications network led by Finnish operator Iceye and Nokia. However, the initial satellites for this network are not expected to launch until 2028. Similarly, Canadian company Telesat plans to deploy its Lightspeed low-Earth-orbit satellite network by early 2028, and the European Union has contracted with multiple companies to build the IRIS² constellation, with an anticipated launch date in 2029.
Experts note that Ukraine’s communications needs cannot be met by a single provider or technology. Tom Withington, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, emphasized the necessity of combining multiple technologies to provide robust, secure, and sufficient bandwidth capacity while resisting jamming or hacking attempts.
European governments have increased investments in space defense capabilities in recent years, with Germany pledging around $40 billion and France boosting its budget by 70% by 2030. These funds aim to enhance national satellite constellations, surveillance, and launch capabilities, addressing vulnerabilities underscored by ongoing conflicts.
As Kyiv prepares for winter under increasing strain, the city’s resilience will depend on both immediate damage control and longer-term advancements in energy security and communication infrastructure.