War in Ukraine: Kyiv prepares for a blackout

"I've bought extra power banks to charge my phone and a lamp that can be charged with sunlight but also works with normal batteries. I've bought a lot of candles as well, of course. I've brought sleeping bags and a gas canister from my weekend home in the countryside so I can prepare food," said Lyudmila Rosik from Kyiv, describing some of the changes she has undertaken and planned for since Russia invaded Ukraine. "If there's a total blackout, I'll drive to the countryside. I can heat my house there with wood."

For the past month, the Russian army has increasingly been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Around 40% of facilities have already been destroyed, according to Ukrainian authorities. The lack of electricity has resulted in power cuts in many cities, especially Kyiv, affecting thousands of homes.

Oleksandr Dyachenko, also from Kyiv, is well prepared. After the first major attacks on the energy supply in October, he bought himself a voltage transformer for his car. "With this piece of equipment, you can charge the laptop from the car," he says. "I've also bought a gas oven and a gas heater, as well as flash lights and a table lamp for my room." But the main thing he thought of was thick, lined boots. "Warm clothes are the most important thing. After all, you might have to sit tight in a cold cellar during an air raid."

No internet access

One problem for which Oleksandr doesn't have a solution is the lack of internet access during power outages. "If I were connected to Wi-Fi via fiber optic cable, I could solve it by connecting the router to a power bank. Unfortunately, though, we don't have a fiber optic provider in the building. And the mobile internet keeps dropping out. Then we go to a part of town where there's electricity. You can sit in a cafe for a while and use the internet," he says.

Ukrainian mobile network operators explained to DW that they have batteries at their base stations that guarantee continued operation for several hours in the event of a power outage. The companies say that they are working to increase the number of batteries and generators to try to prevent a failure of the mobile internet.

At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities intend to set up autonomous Wi-Fi hubs that will work even during power outages. "We're considering using Tesla power wall batteries and Starlink terminals, so public communication hubs like these can operate in Ukraine independently of the power grid," the Ukrainian minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, explained recently in an interview for the Ukrainian edition of Forbes magazine. He said that these public Wi-Fi hubs would go live next month but didn't specify in which cities. 

Fuel, generators, and heating points

Meanwhile, the administration in the capital is preparing to set up about 1,000 heating points for citizens to use. These will be equipped with essentials — heaters, lamps, washing facilities, dining rooms, places to rest, warm clothes, and blankets. The premises will also have electricity generators, and rescue workers will be stationed nearby. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city had already stockpiled a large quantity of fuel, generators, food, and water.

However, Klitschko acknowledged that if further Russian attacks completely cut off the city's electricity and water supplies, these measures might not be enough. This is why he is urging people to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

"If you have relatives and acquaintances in the suburbs of Kyiv, with their own supply of water, a stove, and a heater, take shelter there temporarily. Please make arrangements to stay with friends or acquaintances for a while in an emergency," he told Ukrainian television.

Kyiv authorities are also working on an evacuation plan for the city's 3 million residents in the event of a total blackout. The New York Times recently reported this, citing Roman Tkachuk, the head of the city administration's security department. Tkachuk later confirmed the information but stressed that there was no reason to evacuate people from the capital yet.

'Don't rely on the authorities'

A simultaneous evacuation of 3 million people is unlikely, says Ihor Molodan, head of the Autonom Klub, a survival training school.

"You have to look after yourself. You can't rely on the authorities," he advises. Above all, people should stock up on warm clothing, as well as tents and sleeping bags. "Camping stoves and gas cartridges, as well as gas ceramic heaters, are also useful." 

Volodymyr Omelchenko, an energy expert at the Razumkov Research Center, agrees that it's better to be self-sufficient.

"If there's a blackout in Kyiv, the generators won't be able to supply electricity to a city of 3 million people. Those are needed above all for hospitals, retirement homes, government offices, and the military," he says.

Omelchenko notes that the 1,000 heating points are only designed to accommodate 200,000 people. However, he stresses that the measures the Kyiv authorities are taking are the right ones: It can't do any more than this. "No administration of any city in the world can cope with the effects of a total blackout."

In an emergency, Oleksandr Dyachenko plans to leave the capital and go to his house in the countryside.

"I've already stocked up with double the amount of firewood, bought a gas stove, and gas cylinders. I'll be able to heat and cook there," he says.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.