Ukraine expands solar and battery storage amid energy grid attacks

Ukraine is accelerating the development of decentralized energy production, specifically solar power and battery energy storage systems (BESS), to mitigate the impact of Russian attacks on its power grid. Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed up to 50% of the country’s power generation capacity, totaling more than 27 GW. To restore and reconstruct the system, an estimated 10 GW of new capacity is required.

By mid-2026, Ukraine’s installed solar capacity reached between 9.4 and 9.7 GW. In the first half of the year, 1.1 GW of new capacity was added, primarily through small-scale projects for self-consumption. Additionally, battery storage capacity is growing rapidly; in 2025, 2.9 GWh of new storage was installed, ranking Ukraine fourth in the European market. Preliminary estimates for the first half of 2026 suggest an additional 1.6 to 1.9 GWh will be added.

This transition comes amid ongoing military strikes. Recent Russian attacks involving approximately 188 drones and ballistic missiles targeted energy infrastructure, including data centers, power generation units near Kyiv, an industrial complex in the Odesa region, and port infrastructure in Izmail. These strikes resulted in at least four deaths, including two women and a 14-year-old child.