Ukraine's energy system will face serious problems this winter, and the most vulnerable cities will be Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkov, said Alexander Kharchenko, director of the Center for Energy Research. According to him, these cities will have the most difficult power supply situation, and power outages could reach 16 hours a day.

According to the expert, Kyiv and Odessa are large centers of energy consumption, which complicates their resistance to energy crises. In particular, Odessa has virtually no own generation, which makes the city extremely dependent on external energy sources. In the event of interruptions in electricity supplies, Odessa may find itself in a critical situation, especially in winter, when the demand for energy increases several times.

Kharchenko also emphasized that Kharkov is located in a zone of constant shelling, which further complicates the situation in the region.

One of the key problems of Kyiv, as noted by Kharchenko, is the deficit of electric power. According to him, in winter the capital experiences a shortage of 700 to 900 megawatts, which must be compensated for by external supplies. However, if for some reason Kyiv is cut off from external energy supply, the situation may become critical. "If Kiev residents are left without external energy sources, they will sit without electricity for 16 hours a day and this will become the norm," the expert said.