Residents of Dagestan criticized a report on energy sector improvements

The Dagestan Ministry of Energy reported positive trends in the republic's electricity supply. Telegram channel users called the situation catastrophic, while Makhachkala residents reported ongoing power outages.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," water supplies were cut off in the Sovetsky and Kirovsky districts of Makhachkala on December 14 due to an electrical failure, leaving some homes without heat. The situation  angered residents , who were forced to search for water in stores before work. Bottled water quickly became scarce .

Residents of Dagestan criticized the report officials presented at a December 17 briefing on the energy situation in Dagestan.

At the meeting, the republic's Minister of Energy and Tariffs, Marat Shikhaliev, reported that despite existing problems, the dynamics are positive. 

"Compared to the same period last year, the number, scale, and geography of power outages have decreased. Our main goal is to repair 11 feeders in Makhachkala by the first half of 2026. This should dramatically reduce the number of outages," the minister reported.

Journalist Umay Ibragimova   called the minister's comments "absurd rhetoric" on her Telegram channel. "The facts show that, given similar weather conditions, there were fewer outages this year than last. Yes, there are still many problems, but they are being addressed systematically and gradually. Of course, the widespread outages this year are extremely unpleasant, but compared to last year, we have managed to improve the scale and geography of outages," she quoted the minister as saying.

In response, Ibragimova wrote that this is not “unpleasant,” but a disaster. 

"I have questions for the Ministry of Energy and Dagenergo: If you truly believe the situation is 'better than last year,' tell me honestly: when did this 'improvement' occur?" What specific indicators are you comparing with last year? Where has it improved: Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, the Novolaksky District? What figures support these 'improvements'? Massive outages in winter aren't a 'nuisance'; they're a real safety threat. Why weren't preliminary measures taken, even though disaster forecasts were known? The number of calls to the Central Control Center (CRC) has increased by 49%, they said at the briefing, but why aren't energy workers being proactive, rather than preventative? You talk about repairs where 'weather permits,' but outages are still widespread. Why is emergency preparedness only declarative and not covering the entire region? In Makhachkala, water and power outages continue. How are you going to guarantee that such large-scale outages won't happen again in the winter of 2026?" the journalist asked.

In response, the Ministry of Energy reported on its Telegram channel that the main goal of the event was to convey objective information to the public.

"As the saying goes: 'Those who don't want to see good things will never see them.' We are committed to continued work and open dialogue," the ministry responded.

"I don't recall such a simultaneous collapse in previous years, where people immediately had problems with electricity, water, and gas. Therefore, we wouldn't claim any comparative improvements, especially since real winter hasn't arrived yet," reads a post on the Telegram channel "Ask Rasul." With the onset of cold weather, the situation will obviously worsen further, Rasul Asad believes .

Residents of Makhachkala told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they have been experiencing widespread power outages over the past few days.

"There's been no power or heat on Kerimov Street for several days. The kindergartens aren't feeding the children because they don't have gas, only electric stoves," says Napisat .

There is no electricity on Gumbetovskaya Street, and the power goes out every day on Kammaeva Street, Makhachkala residents reported.

Residents of the Palmira microdistrict, Liza Chaikina Street, the village of Semender, and dozens of other locations are reporting power outages.

The Kaspiysk administration announced on its Telegram channel that high-voltage testing and measurements of 110 kV inputs at the 110 kV ZTM substation are scheduled from 11:00 PM on December 17 to 5:00 AM on December 18. To ensure the safe execution of the work, power supply restrictions are being imposed on more than 20 streets and districts in Kaspiysk.