Ukraine restoring power after widespread grid outages

Volodymyr Verbianyi, Daryna Krasnolutska, Bloomberg News on Jan 31, 2026

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Power was gradually being restored in Ukraine’s capital on Saturday after widespread outages from what were termed “technical issues” across the nation’s power grid that spilled over to Moldova as well.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko placed the city under an emergency blackout and Metro services were suspended early Saturday. Temperatures, already frigid, are expected to drop further overnight to a low of about -11F (-24C).

The developments came as Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with U.S. officials in Miami, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as well as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Witkoff termed the talks “constructive” in a post on X; there’s been no readout from Dmitriev so far.

Separately, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog has raised the alarm about the perilous condition of Ukraine’s atomic power plants after persistent Russian airstrikes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukraine’s nuclear power plants “temporarily reduced output” on Saturday after a grid issue affected power lines. The Chornobyl site in northern Ukraine briefly lost all off-site power. No direct impact on nuclear safety expected, the Vienna-based agency said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday’s emergency was caused by “technical issues on the interconnection lines between our grid and Moldova’s.”

The capital region didn’t sustain airstrikes from Russia overnight, consistent with a short halt in attacks brokered this week by U.S. President Donald Trump. Officials from U.S., Ukraine and Russia are expected to meet again soon in pursuit of an agreement to end the four-year war.

The IAEA held an emergency session on Friday in response to developing nuclear-safety risks in Ukraine.

Months of Russian strikes aimed at degrading Ukraine’s power grid have deprived the nation’s three operating atomic plants of stable electricity feeds, according to the agency. European nations are demanding the IAEA provide a detailed assessment of Ukraine’s vulnerability.

Moldova’s energy ministry said power was fully restored around the country after a blackout that lasted more than four hours in some areas. Power grids across Moldova are stable with no consumption restrictions, the ministry said.

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(With assistance from Jonathan Tirone and Irina Vilcu.)