As Russia attacks Ukraine’s grid, solar offers a path to resilience

A door manufacturing facility in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine switched to solar power this year after years of relying on expensive backup generators during grid outages caused by Russian attacks. The owner, identified only as Yaroslav for safety, worked with electricity supplier Yasno, which has installed panels at 117 sites nationwide totaling 23 megawatts over the past two years, aided by a government loan program covering up to 80% of installation costs.

Before the war, Ukraine relied heavily on four nuclear plants plus gas and coal, with renewables a small slice of the mix; roughly 30% of installed solar capacity and most southern wind farms have since been destroyed, occupied, or lost. The Solar Energy Association of Ukraine estimates 1.5 gigawatts of new solar capacity was added in 2025, nearly double the prior year, with similar pace expected in 2026.

Officials and industry figures frame the shift toward smaller, distributed generation as a deliberate response to Russia's targeting of centralized infrastructure, which has caused prolonged blackouts including a declared state of emergency in Kyiv last winter.

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