According to data published on Energy Map, electricity imports in October 2026 increased by 4.6% to 79.6 GWh, while exports decreased by 10.6% to 423.5 GWh. Overall, Ukraine remained a net exporter in October, with electricity exports exceeding imports by 5.3 times.
October was clearly divided into two periods. From 1 to 14 October, average daily electricity exports amounted to 23.9 GWh. The peak was recorded on 6 October, at 26.7 GWh – the highest daily export volume since September 2025. At the same time, following massive russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure, hourly outage schedules for all categories of consumers and capacity limitation schedules for industrial consumers began to be implemented in some regions. As explained by NPC Ukrenergo, the issue was not an overall capacity deficit in the power system, but rather the systematic destruction of generation facilities in certain regions and attacks on substations and transmission and distribution lines, particularly near major cities. As a result, electricity could not be transmitted to regions facing an energy deficit, even when surplus capacity was available in other parts of the country. Some of this surplus was therefore exported.
The situation changed from 15 October onward: average daily electricity exports fell to 5.2 GWh, a 4.6-fold decrease. The lowest volume was recorded on 18 October, at just 0.5 GWh. According to former Energy Minister Olha Buslavets, the decline in cross-border electricity supplies was linked to tighter export restrictions imposed by NPC Ukrenergo. This is confirmed by Energy Map data on the cross-border capacity offered at auctions for electricity exports: in the second half of October, the available capacity decreased significantly compared to the beginning of the month. On some days, export capacity during daytime and evening hours fell to zero. Meanwhile, russian attacks affected an increasing number of regions, and on 17, 18, 20, and 27 October, capacity limitation schedules for industrial consumers were implemented across all regions of Ukraine. Seasonal demand also increased: falling temperatures prompted consumers to use more electricity for heating, while cloudy weather and shorter daylight hours reduced solar power generation.
Electricity imports increased in the second half of the month: average daily import volumes rose from 1.9 to 3.1 GWh, while nearly two-thirds (65.7%) of monthly imports took place during 15–31 October. On 18 and 25–27 October, Ukraine was a net importer of electricity.
Imports by country:
- Hungary – 52.1 GWh (65.4%);
- Romania – 22.0 GWh (27.7%);
- Poland – 5.4 GWh (6.8%);
- Moldova – 0.1 GWh (0.1%).
Compared to September, electricity imports from Poland and Moldova decreased by 68.2% and 27.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, imports from Romania and Hungary increased by 49.0% and 34.3%, respectively. No electricity imports from Slovakia were recorded in October.
Compared to October 2025, electricity imports decreased by 77.5%, from 353.9 GWh.
Exports by country:
- Hungary – 209.9 GWh (49.6%);
- Moldova – 130.3 GWh (30.8%);
- Romania – 78.5 GWh (18.5%);
- Poland – 4.8 GWh (1.1%).
Compared to September, electricity exports to Poland increased 2.6-fold, while exports to Moldova, Hungary, and Romania decreased by 14.6%, 9.7%, and 3.8%, respectively. No electricity exports to Slovakia were recorded during the month.
Year-on-year, electricity exports increased 4.7-fold compared to October 2025, rising from 90.8 GWh.