Ramadan power outages create problems for residents of Chechnya

During the fasting month of Ramadan, hours-long power outages affected most areas of Chechnya. Residents of the republic complained that the power outages created daily problems.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," this year Ramadan began in Chechnya on February 18, and March 19-21 have been declared non-working days in the republic in connection with the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

A "Caucasian Knot" reader with the nickname kenton.haley expressed the opinion that scheduled power and gas outages for residents of Chechnya could interfere with the preparation of food for breaking the fast.

"The fact that it is now the month of Ramadan, that it is necessary to prepare food for breaking the fast in the evening, that many have already stocked up on food for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr and are storing it in refrigerators, apparently does not bother either the power or gas workers," he wrote in his commentary on March 11.

In Grozny, the total number of power outages during Ramadan exceeded 100 hours

According to information on the Chechenenergo Telegram channel, on March 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 Moscow time, power was cut off in part of Grozny, and from 9:00 to 16:00 Moscow time, in the village of Gekhi in the Urus-Martan district and some settlements in the Gudermes district, including the village of Koshkeldy. In the same area, power was cut off to the village of Ishkhoy-Yurt from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The company explained the outages by the need for maintenance work at substations and power lines.

15:48 26.11.2025

Chechnya's winter preparedness report contradicts widespread power and water outages

Chechnya's Prime Minister Magomed Daudov's remarks about readiness for the heating season came amid ongoing widespread power and water outages.

However, power outages in Chechnya are not a one-off occurrence. According to official energy schedules, power outages occurred regularly throughout the month of Ramadan and affected most areas of the republic.

During this period, power outages lasted a total of 19 days. The total duration of outages, calculated based on the maximum duration of outages on each day, was approximately 139 hours, equivalent to almost six days without power.

The longest outage was recorded on March 5th, when power was cut off in some communities for up to 11 hours. On several other days, outages lasted 7-9 hours.

The restrictions affected at least 11 municipalities, including Grozny, Urus-Martan, Gudermes, Sernovodsk, Achkhoy-Martan, Groznensky, Vedensky, Kurchaloyevsky, and Nozhay-Yurtovsky districts.

The most frequent outages were recorded in Grozny, Urus-Martan, and Gudermes districts, where they lasted up to 11 days per month. Grozny leads in total duration of outages, with over 100 hours of outages. (The outage statistics were compiled by a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent based on official publications on the energy company's Telegram channel.)

Gas supply in Chechnya was restricted significantly less frequently during Ramadan: twice, both times in Grozny (in the Akhmatovsky and Visaitovsky districts). The total duration of the power outages was approximately 21 hours, according to the official Gazprom Gas Distribution Grozny Telegram channel.

Chechny residents expressed outrage over the power outages

This situation has become a precedent, said Grozny resident Aset.

Neither the refrigerator nor the television works.

"We've had [electricity] outages three times this month already. They last for several hours, so it's survivable. But my parents in a village in the Gudermes district have been without power for days; they have power outages every day. Elderly people, their appliances, refrigerator, and television are all out. I don't remember outages this frequent, especially during Ramadan," Aset told a correspondent. "Caucasian Knot."

Grozny resident Tamerlan lives in the city center, on Putin Avenue. "We've had power outages a couple of times this month, too. I wouldn't say it's a pleasant experience, but I also can't say it's had a significant impact on our daily lives. There's no elevator in my building, nothing's missing from the refrigerator, and they turned it back on after a couple of hours," he told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

Of course, it's inconvenient.

21:21 09.08.2023

Chechenenergo's calls to conserve electricity have outraged social media users

Chechenenergo should provide the necessary capacity instead of turning off the lights in the heat and urging residents to conserve, users said in response to the company's calls to conserve electricity.

In turn, Madina, a resident of the Visaitovsky district of Grozny, complained about the inconvenience caused by the outages. "There was a report the other day that they were repairing the power grid and there would be power outages in various districts. Ours was out for half a day. There were no losses. In the center, the day before yesterday, there was no power during the day. But, of course, this is causing inconvenience," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

As a reminder, in Dagestan, neighboring Chechnya, unresolved problems in the housing and utilities sector are a factor in the growth of protest activity, Sergei Bachurin, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the North Caucasus Federal District, stated on January 19. Makhachkala residents agreed with his opinion. "Problems with water, electricity, heating, and tariffs are not just household inconveniences, but a trigger for increased social tension, which leads to increased protest activity," noted Rasul Asad, the author of the Telegram channel "Ask Rasul."

In August 2025, residents of the Reduktorny settlement in Makhachkala staged a spontaneous protest due to the lack of power in their homes. The city administration subsequently reported that power had been restored to most homes. Residents of other parts of the city also complained of similar problems. Dagestan's Head, Sergey Melikov, ignored pressing issues during his direct line on November 27, 2025, and only gave vague answers to questions raised. Residents of the republic were waiting for Melikov to explain the constant power and water outages, burning landfills, and rising utility and transportation costs.