MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. Kiev and the Kiev Region can meet only 25% of their electricity needs at most, said Vladimir Omelchenko, energy programs director at the Ukrainian Razumkov Center.

"Kiev is a region with a shortage, unfortunately. That is, Kiev and the Kiev Region can provide themselves with only 20-25% of electric energy at a maximum," he said on the Kiev-24 TV channel.

The expert urged Kiev residents to be ready for a winter where the city could be blacked out for an average of eight to 16 hours a day.

Hourly blackouts have been applied daily in almost all regions of Ukraine since November due to new massive damage to energy infrastructure. Head of Ukrenergo Vitaly Zaichenko said that the schedules could be maintained throughout the winter.

Some entrepreneurs and food sellers have warned that prices could go up significantly if prolonged blackouts happen. For instance, on December 7, Denis Marchuk, deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, told the Telegraph newspaper that if the lights were turned off for eight hours a day, prices for dairy and meat products could rise by 30%.

Since November, reports of new explosions and damage at energy facilities have been received from Ukraine on a regular basis. The Energy Ministry said all major thermal and hydroelectric power plants were damaged and their productivity significantly reduced. Until February 2022, the capacity of Ukraine's energy system stood at about 56 GW. At the beginning of November 2025, the total capacity could decrease to 13.13 GW, insufficient to meet the winter needs of at least 15 GW, and at peak loads up to 18 GW.