KYIV, Ukraine, Feb 1, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine's power grid experienced mass outages for several hours on Saturday after a "technical malfunction" caused electrical lines between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine to fail, Ukraine's energy minister said. By Saturday evening, the power companies had restored power to all regions of Kyiv, said Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmygal. Shmygal said on Telegram that a "technical malfunction" caused "a simultaneous shutdown of the 400-kilovolt line between the power grids of Romania and Moldova and the 750-kilovolt line between western and central Ukraine" had caused the shutdown. Moldova produces its own power but also imports some, mainly from Romania, as well as Ukraine. The incident piles further pressure on Ukraine's energy grid, which was already in a fragile state due to weeks of intense Russian bombardment.
