Russian propagandists are spreading information that there is an energy collapse in Kharkiv “due to the Kursk adventure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. They add that all thermal power plants have been destroyed, “the city is completely left without electricity and heat”, and local residents “will not survive the winter and will freeze”. That is, propagandists assure that the destruction of power generation facilities in the Kharkiv region is allegedly a consequence of the Kursk breakthrough of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for which Russia is “taking revenge”.

In fact, this is disinformation, writes the StopFake project. Indeed, according to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the Russians have actually completely destroyed all thermal power plants in the Kharkiv region. At the same time, Shmyhal assured that the government focused on the problems of the region and sent mobile units to the Kharkiv region. Also, as the Prime Minister reported, Ukraine has created a reserve of sustainability for the generation of electricity and heat. International partners, within the framework of the Energy Support Fund, financed the purchase of distribution generation equipment with a capacity of 170 MW. In addition, Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of another 291 units and 101 block-modular boiler houses.

To get through the autumn-winter period, the Kharkiv region received 35 cogeneration units. Of these, 21 have been put into operation, and another 13 will be put into operation by the end of this year. In the end, the region managed to decentralize heat and power generation, as well as reconstruct some of the facilities - that is why the city has almost uninterrupted electricity and water, despite constant Russian attacks.

Boiler houses, central heating points and heating networks of the Kharkiv region as of September 2024 are more than 90% ready for the heating season. Social facilities are more than 98% ready. Also, most institutions have generators and full autonomy in the field of water and heat supply.

StopFake journalists add that the 2023-2024 heating season in the Kharkiv region was as successful as it was possible under the conditions of constant Russian shelling. There were 518 boiler houses in the region and the city, heat was supplied to 7.6 thousand apartment buildings out of 8.2 thousand - that is, more than 90% of subscribers had heating in their apartments.

This fake news is part of the Russian disinformation campaign about a “hungry and cold” Ukraine, which Russia has once again started promoting ahead of the new heating season. Read more about what messages the Kremlin propaganda is spreading about the coming winter in the article by the Detector Media Research Center: Ukrainians are in for a terrible winter. What propagandists are writing on Telegram about the Ukrainian winter of 2024-2025