Electricity imports to Ukraine in January 2026 increased by 40% compared to December 2025 and amounted to 894.5 thousand MWh, according to the DIXI Group analytical center, citing data from Energy Map.
“This is the highest monthly figure since the launch of the new electricity market in July 2019,” the center said.
There were no electricity exports in January.
For comparison: in January 2025, electricity imports amounted to 183.1 thousand MWh, while exports amounted to 84.7 thousand MWh, according to statistics from DIXI Group.
In January, Hungary accounted for the largest share of imports – 45%, or 402.0 thousand MWh. Romania accounted for 21% of the resources provided to Ukraine (185.9 thousand MWh), Slovakia – 18% (159.8 thousand MWh), Poland – 15% (135.2 thousand MWh), and Moldova – 1% (11.6 thousand MWh).
The growth in imports from European countries ranged from 18% to 62%, with the exception of Moldova, from which supplies decreased by 18%.
According to DIXI Group analysts, in January 2026, the maximum capacity of inter-state crossings for electricity imports from the European Union to the joint Ukraine-Moldova regulation block increased to 2.45 thousand MW, which is a record since Ukraine joined the ENTSO-E network. At the same time, part of this capacity is used to import electricity to Moldova, so Ukraine has access to about 2.1 thousand MW of commercial imports. At the same time, the amount of permitted import capacity for each of the countries in the block is dynamic and may change depending on the operational situation in the countries’ power systems.
On average, during January, the use of available transmission capacity was 57.3% of the accepted nominal value (2.1 GW). The maximum level of utilization was recorded on January 24 between 16:00 and 17:00, at 104%, while the minimum was recorded on January 9 during the same time interval (19.9%).
“Thus, Ukraine ended January 2026 as a net importer of electricity, which was the fourth consecutive month that the country remained in this status and reflects the critical role of imports in maintaining the stability of the power system in the face of massive attacks and high seasonal consumption,” DIXI Group emphasized.
Analysts at the center recalled that during January, Ukraine’s energy system operated under increased load, and on January 16, a state of emergency was declared in the country’s energy sector. In January, Russia used more than 6,000 strike drones, about 5,500 guided aerial bombs, and 158 missiles of various types against Ukraine’s energy system and critical infrastructure. In total, Russia carried out six massive strikes during the month, damaging power generation facilities as well as electricity transmission and distribution networks. The attacks took place against the backdrop of significantly worsening weather conditions and lower air temperatures, which further increased the load on the system.
One of the factors contributing to the increase in electricity imports was the rise in price caps in the short-term market segments.
As reported, the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKP) at an extraordinary meeting on January 16, set the maximum price limit for electricity on the day-ahead market (DAM) and intraday market (IDM) at UAH 15,000/MWh for the entire day for the period from January 18 to March 31, 2026.
The NEURC made this decision after statements by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal regarding the government’s expectations from the regulator to review the maximum prices for electricity on the spot market and to equalize the day and night price caps in order to attract electricity imports throughout the day.
After the adoption of this decision, the BASE electricity price index for the Ukrainian DAM reached a record high of 13,232.96 UAH/MWh at the auction on January 22, which is 1.8 times higher than the average value of this indicator for the 20 days of January – 7,307.04 UAH/MWh.
According to ENTSOE data, in January 2026, Ukraine ranked first in terms of the average daily BASE price index on the DAM 14 times (January 2-4, 10-11, 16-17, 19, 21, 23-25, 27-28), compared to 26 European countries.
At the end of 2025, Ukraine ranked second among 27 European countries in terms of the BASE index on the DAM, which amounted to 5,292.62 UAH/MWh, calculated according to Central European Time (CET).
