Center for Countering Disinformation Debunks False Claim of Complete Power Outage in Western Ukraine

Ukrainian authorities have issued a stern warning about circulating disinformation regarding an alleged “complete power outage” in western Ukraine, labeling it a component of Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics aimed at destabilizing the country.

According to the National Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation, false reports began spreading online Saturday about a purported widespread blackout, accompanied by what appeared to be an “official announcement” letter. The Ukrainian News Network (UNN) was among the first to report on this disinformation campaign.

“In fact, as of 12:00 on January 17, there is no confirmation of such actions from the Ministry of Energy, the power system operator, regional military administrations, or regional power companies,” the Center stated in its official response to the rumors.

The fabricated claims come at a particularly vulnerable time for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has been a primary target of Russian missile and drone attacks throughout the conflict. These attacks have periodically caused genuine disruptions to the power grid, making false reports about outages particularly dangerous as they can sow confusion during actual emergency situations.

Ukraine’s energy security remains precarious as winter temperatures put additional strain on the system. The country’s power infrastructure has sustained significant damage over the past two years, with repair crews working continuously to maintain services despite ongoing attacks.

The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized the dual nature of this particular disinformation effort: “This is an element of hybrid warfare, where the object of attack is not only Ukraine’s energy system, but also the resilience of society.”

Intelligence experts note that such false information campaigns typically intensify before or during actual military operations, serving as psychological preparation to amplify the impact of physical attacks. By creating confusion about the status of critical infrastructure, these campaigns can complicate emergency response efforts and erode public trust in official communications channels.

“The purpose of such disinformation is to emotionally influence the population to provoke panic and destabilize the situation in Ukraine,” the Center added, highlighting the psychological warfare aspect of these false reports.

While the complete power outage reports were fabricated, Ukraine has indeed been experiencing legitimate energy challenges. In a separate development, emergency power outages were implemented in several regions, with two areas experiencing blackouts following new Russian attacks on energy facilities, according to reports dated January 17.

Energy security analysts point out that this pattern of combining physical attacks on infrastructure with information warfare has become a hallmark of Russia’s strategy against Ukraine. By targeting both physical systems and public confidence simultaneously, these coordinated efforts aim to maximize disruption with minimal resources.

Ukrainian authorities continue to urge citizens to rely on official government sources for information about the status of critical infrastructure and to report suspicious communications to appropriate agencies. The government has also worked to improve its emergency communication systems to ensure accurate information reaches the public quickly during actual emergencies.

As winter progresses, protecting both physical infrastructure and information integrity remains crucial to Ukraine’s national security strategy, with energy resilience being a key component of the country’s overall defense posture against ongoing hybrid warfare tactics.