Donetsk Has Been Without Power For Two Weeks Now
- 20.10.2026, 8:28
The situation in the city is catastrophic.
Rolling blackouts have begun in occupied Donetsk. The city has been living under blackout conditions for two weeks now: severe power outages have been reported in several major districts at once. Residents are complaining about the lack of water and the inability to cook meals or turn on heaters. Electricity schedules are not being followed, and the responsible authorities are not providing any estimates for when service will be restored, according to “Dialog”.
According to the Telegram channel “Mash in Donbas,” the outages began on October 2. “Yesterday, they turned the power on for three minutes and then cut it off again. Donetsk residents cannot turn on their heaters or cook meals, and there is no water coming from the taps. It is especially difficult for families with small children,” the message states.
Journalists were unable to obtain an explanation from the local energy authority. “They yelled at us and said they would only respond to ‘normal people,’” local media reported. Residents who called were also not told when a stable power supply would be restored to their homes.
A Russian propagandist named Martynova, who has moved to the city, paints an even bleaker picture: according to her, Donetsk residents describe the situation as bordering on critical. “Kyivsky District, Kyivsky Avenue, buildings 4, 6, 8, 10, on the even-numbered side—they’re consistently without power and, consequently, without water. The schedule isn’t being followed at all. The Executive Committee knows nothing—it refers us to the Regional Energy Service, but no one there is answering the phone,” a local resident said in a published video. She added that she tried to speak with the dispatcher in person, but was not allowed onto the service’s premises.
A representative of Russia’s occupation authorities Alexander Kofman attributed the situation to damage to a substation. According to him, the facility is being repaired, and the duration of power supply is gradually increasing: the day before, they managed to restore power for four hours. However, local residents refute this claim and say that there is still no power.