Ukraine’s power grid recently tapped emergency electricity from neighboring Romania to support the evening load, according to Ukrenergo. The cross-border flow was reported as a targeted response to a shortfall in domestic capacity during peak demand hours.
From 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. on May 27, Ukraine drew additional supply from Romania to help meet the night-time surge in consumption. The arrangement demonstrates how regional cooperation can stabilize supply when domestic generation falls short for a specific interval.
Ukrenergo clarified that the trigger for utilizing emergency imports was not a failure of the transmission network but the insufficient total capacity of Ukrainian power plants to satisfy the peak. The transfer helped balance grid frequency and maintain reliable service for consumers during the highest evening demand slice.
The agency noted that imports from Slovakia also occurred during the same window but were limited in scale. This episode aligns with Ukraine’s continued integration with European energy markets under theENTSO-E synchronization framework, which enables neighboring systems to share surplus power when needed.
The day prior, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy announced the resumption of electricity imports from Slovakia and Moldova, signaling a broader regional trading pattern that supports grid stability across Central and Eastern Europe during times of high demand or generation constraints.
Looking back, Ukraine’s decision to separate from the unified energy system with Russia and Belarus in February last year marked a significant shift toward a European-aligned grid. In March 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the successful completion of Ukraine’s integration with European energy infrastructure, a move designed to enhance reliability and diversify supply sources amid ongoing tensions and shifts in regional energy politics. The current emergency measures illustrate how the country continues to leverage proximity and interoperability with European neighbors to bolster energy security for households and critical services.