Cyberattack rumors swirl as Ukraine explains what caused blackout
Photo: Ukraine's power grid emergency was not caused by a cyberattack (Getty Images)
The emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system that led to large-scale power outages in Ukraine and Moldova was not caused by a cyberattack.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation has denied reports circulating online about an alleged cyberattack.
"The emergency situation in the energy system was not caused by a cyberattack," the statement said.
The ministry noted that the outage occurred due to technical reasons on the power lines connecting the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova.
"Ukraine’s energy system is responding. Restoration work is ongoing," the Ministry of Digital Transformation added.
Blackout in Ukraine and Moldova
As a reminder, on the morning of January 31, a technical disruption occurred between the energy systems of Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, resulting in the simultaneous disconnection of power grids.
This triggered a cascade failure in Ukraine’s power network and the activation of automatic protection systems at substations. Units at nuclear power plants were unloaded, and emergency power outages were introduced.
In Kyiv and Kharkiv, metro train services were suspended due to a lack of voltage. Reports also indicated disruptions to water and heating supplies in Kyiv and other cities.
In addition, a voltage drop was recorded in Moldova on the Isaccea–Vulcanesti–MoldGRES high-voltage line due to serious problems in Ukraine’s energy system.
Power outages were reported in Chisinau and other cities.
More details on what is known about the situation and where power outages are currently reported can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.
