Some Ukrainian cities face severe challenges next heating season – expert
Ukrainian cities of Kryvy Rih, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv face the greatest difficulties in preparing for the next heating season, primarily due to Russian attacks. These cities require maximum preparation for winter, says Oleksandr Kharchenko, Director of the Energy Research Center (ERA).
"A large part of the preparation for the next heating season falls on municipal authorities. For example, Kryvy Rih is in a catastrophic situation. I find it hard to imagine what can be done there in one season given the current state of affairs. Kharkiv and Odesa also require significant efforts and must be prioritized. Kryvy Rih, Odesa, Kharkiv, and partially Mykolaiv are facing severe challenges," Kharchenko said during a briefing at Ukraine's Media Center in Kyiv.
He explained that these cities' difficulties stem from the war, which has led to attacks on heating infrastructure, power generation facilities, and distribution networks. Therefore, efforts to restore these systems must be maximized.
Regarding other cities, Kharchenko noted that their situations are relatively stable, but most municipalities are well aware of their vulnerabilities. He stressed the importance of not relying on another mild winter like the last one and instead beginning preparations for the next heating season immediately.
In his view, Ukraine managed to get through the 2024/2025 winter relatively smoothly, with residential consumers largely unaffected by restrictions. This was mainly due to record-high temperatures and a substantial reduction in industrial electricity consumption.
"Warm weather and lower industrial electricity use allowed us to get through the heating season without major issues. In 2023, peak consumption reached 18 GW, whereas this winter, it did not exceed 16 GW," Kharchenko explained.
At the same time, he noted that outages were much more frequent in Kharkiv, Odesa, and Sumy regions.
Previously, on November 22, 2024, Ukraine's Ministry of Communities, Territories Development reported a critical heating crisis in Kryvy Rih. At that time, 934 residential buildings, home to 110,000 residents, as well as 11 healthcare institutions, 43 educational facilities, and a social welfare center were left without heat.
Later, law enforcement authorities opened a criminal investigation into the disruption of the heating season in Kryvy Rih. As of December 6, 2025, 443 residential buildings in the city still had no heat.
Meanwhile, in Odesa region, another Russian strike on March 6 left more than 10,000 households without power.