"The power system survived thanks to him" colleagues honour the memory of engineer Oleksiy Brecht

Ukrainian energy engineer Oleksiy Brecht died on 21 January 2026 in the Kyiv region during restoration work at one of the energy facilities damaged by Russian strikes. He was 47 years old. According to information released by his colleagues, the engineer was fatally electrocuted while performing his duties.

Former Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, who worked with Brecht for many years, called him a key figure in helping Ukraine's power system withstand the strain of full-scale war. According to him, it was under Oleksiy Brecht's leadership that teams learned to repair main transformers much faster than in most European countries, work with ultra-high voltage, and implement non-standard engineering solutions to protect critical infrastructure. This was reported by BBC News Ukraine, citing statements from colleagues, representatives of energy companies, and government authorities.

Oleksiy Brecht received an engineering degree in Electrical Power Plants from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. From 1999, he worked at the Kyiv Pumped Storage Power Plant, and later headed the Scientific and Design Centre for the Development of the Unified Energy System. He also managed the forward planning department of the Central Energy System Ukrenergo and had experience as head of the dispatch service.

In 2024–2025, Brecht headed Ukrenergo, after which he was responsible for the operation and restoration of trunk networks and was a member of the company's board. Ukrenergo emphasised that he remained at work until the very end, personally supervising repair processes at critical infrastructure facilities.

The Ministry of Energy stated that Oleksiy Brecht's contribution to the stability of Ukraine's unified energy system cannot be overestimated. DTEK called him an experienced energy specialist who did a great deal for the industry during the war. Former Naftogaz head Andriy Kobolev and energy experts also noted his ability to find solutions in the most difficult conditions.

Ukrenergo separately noted that the company had twice received the Edison Award from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers for engineering and management solutions developed with Brecht's participation, which is considered the energy industry's equivalent of an Oscar.

Oleksiy Brecht, Ukrenergo, Ukraine's energy system, restoration of power grids, energy, war, critical infrastructure, Kyiv region, Ministry of Energy.