Ukraine adjusts curfew rules under Russian energy terror
Point of Invincibility near one of the Kyiv high-rise, Jan. 12, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Ukraine has introduced an emergency regime in the energy sector due to massive Russian attacks on critical infrastructure, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on Jan. 16.
“It is now vital to ensure maximum coordination among all services in the capital, in the oblasts, and in local communities,” he said.
According to Shmyhal, the work of the National Emergency Response Headquarters for the energy sector, as well as the headquarters responsible for Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast power systems, will be significantly intensified.
“We are changing the rules for civilian movement in curfew hours," Shmyhal said.
"People will be able to move freely in order to reach Points of Invincibility, including at night.”
He also announced that the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission has been instructed to urgently review and simplify procedures for connecting backup power equipment to the grid.
“Project review and approval — two days," the minister clarified.
"Issuance of technical conditions — two days. Inspection and sealing of the metering unit — also two days.”
Shmyhal added that reserve equipment will be redistributed among oblasts based on the critical needs of life-support facilities.
Another directive requires state-owned companies, primarily Ukrzaliznytsia and Naftogaz, to urgently ensure the purchase of imported electricity during the fall–winter season of 2025/26 in volumes of at least 50% of total consumption.
On Jan. 14, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will introduce an energy emergency regime. He also said a coordination headquarters will be established to manage the energy situation in Kyiv.
The president also instructed the government to prepare revisions to curfew regulations.
On Jan. 15, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that since the start of the heating season, Russia has carried out 256 missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and heating systems. The SBU said these attacks represent a consistent Kremlin policy aimed at destroying the Ukrainian people.
Since early Oct. 2025, Russian forces have deliberately targeted 11 hydroelectric power plants and 45 major combined heat and power plants in Ukraine. They also carried out 49 precision strikes on thermal power plants and 151 strikes on electrical substations in various oblasts.
The highest number of combined attacks on the energy system was recorded in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Odesa Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, and Chernihiv Oblast.
The Security Service of Ukraine described the Kremlin’s policy as the systematic destruction of Ukraine’s energy system, qualifying it as an international crime against humanity.
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