Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 12, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 12, 2026
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Warming weather has eased Ukraine's energy deficit, reducing the power shortage caused by Russian attacks, according to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal.
KYIV, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Warming weather in Ukraine after record-breaking frosts has significantly reduced an electricity shortage caused by Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Shmyhal told parliament's energy committee that the current power deficit totalled 4.3 to 4.5 gigawatts, compared with up to 6 gigawatts during the colder spell, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.
"As of today, February 12, the forecast maximum consumption is 16.4 gigawatts - that is what the economy would like to consume. Unfortunately, we can only provide 12.3 gigawatts," he said.
Shmyhal said that Ukraine imports almost 2 gigawatts, that 7.5 gigawatts are produced by three Ukrainian nuclear plants and 0.85 gigawatts are received from thermal plants.
Russia attacked Ukraine's power system again last week, striking both thermal power plants and key electrical substations, forcing nuclear plants to cut power production.
Attacks on power stations, the energy transmission system and the gas sector are important elements of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Russia in February 2022. Moscow says it is seeking to undermine Ukraine's ability to fight.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
An energy deficit occurs when the demand for energy exceeds the available supply, leading to shortages and potential power outages.
Thermal power plants generate electricity by converting heat energy, typically from burning fossil fuels, into electrical energy.
Nuclear energy is produced through nuclear reactions, typically fission, where atomic nuclei split to release energy, used for electricity generation.
Electrical substations are facilities that transform voltage from high to low or vice versa, facilitating the distribution of electricity.
Weather can significantly affect energy supply by influencing demand patterns and the efficiency of energy production methods, such as solar and wind.
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