Chinese generators explode during Kharkiv blackouts

Power outages in Ukraine are rising again. They continue driving people to buy cheap generators and batteries, increasing the risk of explosions and fires, as well as future environmental pollution.

KYIV, Ukraine — “I thought my heart would stop. The generator exploded right before my eyes: it went boom, and thick, foul-smelling black smoke billowed out of it,” said Elvira Valevska, the owner of a beauty salon in a small town in the Kharkiv region.

Her ex-husband didn’t believe in her. The pandemic nearly forced her to close her beauty salon, and during the war, she had to face challenges working without electricity, water, or heating. She thought nothing could surprise her anymore, but one day at work, the generator that powered her salon exploded.

Elvira Valevska. Photo provided by Elvira.

Once winter was over, Russian attacks on infrastructure decreased but did not disappear. There are regular reports of new attacks and threats to the water supply.

Russia has also changed its tactics. Previously, mass strikes were carried out at night; now they frequently occur during the day, when people are at work, in schools, or on the streets. The largest attack of the entire war took place on March 24 in broad daylight, when the Russians launched 948 drones and 34 missiles.

China delivers about 81 percent of all battery shipments to Ukraine. Budget battery options, however, mostly use lithium-polymer (Li-Pol) models, which last about 2-3 years. At the same time, Ukraine lacks the capacity to recycle or dispose of batteries. Improper handling of used batteries leads to uncontrolled thermal runaway, toxic leaks, and hazardous waste disposal in landfills.

Such toxic waste seeps into the soil and groundwater, flowing into major rivers such as the Danube and Dnipro, which carry it into the Black Sea, endangering entire ecosystems and slowly emerging as a hidden environmental crisis in the middle of Europe.

Elvira Valevska has loved the idea of enhancing beauty since she was a young girl: “They [clients] shine so brightly when they leave my place! You just have to see it — I love making women happy!”

She started out as a hairdresser, doing prom and wedding hairstyles. Later, as gel polish gained popularity in the 2010s, she learned the art of manicure. In 2015, she opened her own beauty salon, now employing four other beauty experts.

“I’ve always dreamed of having my own business. In 2013, I divorced a man who said I’d never accomplish anything and the salon would remain just a dream. Well, screw you, Vadik!” Elvira said.

Back in 2015, her venture could hardly be called a full-fledged beauty salon. Since then, she renovated two rooms, painting the walls herself, installing laminate flooring, and assembling the furniture.

“I remember one weekend when I set up four stations: two for manicures and two for facials and makeup. It gave me so much energy. On Saturday morning, I was in an empty room, and by Sunday evening, I had a space that was almost fully equipped,” said Elvira Valevska.

With the outbreak of the war, she had no intention of leaving the country, even though she had lost many clients.

Due to power outages in Elvira’s city, she had to reschedule appointments to other dates, but the clients were understanding.

On March 22, 2024, Russia launched an attack on the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant — one of the largest power plants in the Kharkiv region, located in the Chuhuiv district. As a result of the attack, the plant was shut down, as the strikes had destroyed the thermal power plant and all transformer substations.

The destroyed Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant in the Kharkiv region. Photo provided by Centrenergo.

“A beauty salon isn’t the most profitable business, at least for me…Sometimes I even take out loans if I realize it’s necessary for the salon,” Elvira said.

She also took out a loan to buy a generator, so she wouldn’t lose customers and her business. Elvira realized that the power situation would only get worse.

“I don’t know much about these things [generators]; I just went with the one my friend recommended,” Elvira said.

Elvira often bought supplies for the salon from online Chinese stores: consumables, decorative items, and electrical appliances. She knew they were of lower quality, but they were much more affordable.

The price of Chinese goods is low for a reason. China controls 70-80 percent of the global supply of key materials, such as lithium, for portable electronics and batteries.

The average annual salary in China’s manufacturing sector is much lower than the hourly wage in EU countries.

But not all Chinese workers are paid this wage. In some factories, students were forced to work night shifts under the threat of not receiving their diplomas. At Shein’s supplier factories, the company found workweeks of up to 75 hours, which violate Chinese law, and salaries below the minimum wage.

Production line in a Chinese manufacturer. Photo by Xu Xiaolin from Getty Images.

It is estimated that about 40,000 children are involved in cobalt mining in the DRC — some as young as seven. They work without protective gear, inhale cobalt dust, carry heavy loads, and suffer injuries from tunnel collapses.

Elvira hadn’t looked too deeply into why Chinese products were so cheap; most of what she knew came from hearsay. However, even if she were aware of all the pitfalls, she would still buy Chinese goods because of their price.

“I know I’m not the poorest person, but I can’t afford to buy German or Japanese appliances. I’ve been driving the same car for 10 years, I haven’t been on vacation since 2022, and I’ll even think twice before buying a jacket — I’ll probably just go for a cheaper one,” said Elvira.

According to the World Bank, the poverty rate in Ukraine increased with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, when more than 7.1 million people fell below the poverty line. In 2025, one in three Ukrainians lived below the subsistence level.

In January 2026, when Ukraine experienced its most widespread blackouts, Elvira arrived at the salon for work as usual. She opened the door, aired out the rooms, and started the generator, since there was no electricity. The first customers were due to arrive in half an hour.

Elvira smelled something burning and even asked her coworker if she could smell it too, since the room had just been aired out. “I went outside to check the generator; it seemed to be working as usual,” said Elvira.

A moment later, the generator exploded and caught fire. Elvira ran into the office to grab a fire extinguisher, while her colleague called the fire department.

Since the beginning of 2026, units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine have recorded more than 1,200 fires. The main causes of these fires are the use of uncertified, homemade, damaged, or burnt-out electrical appliances.

Fire caused by a generator explosion at a café-shop in the Kharkiv region, February 14, 2026. Photo provided by the Lozova City Council.

“I didn’t know what to do; there was smoke everywhere. My heart was pounding. Even though I’m used to explosions, since they happen often in our city, this one really threw me off balance,” Elvira shared.

What starts as a personal safety risk becomes a collective risk.

The total capacity of home battery systems in Ukrainian apartments and houses has reached nearly 0.5 gigawatts. This is comparable to half the capacity of a single nuclear power plant unit.

Diesel generators release toxins into the air, which cause respiratory diseases and are known carcinogens. In enclosed spaces, this poisoning can be fatal.

“There are several places on our street that have generators, and locals regularly complain about the stench and threaten to call the police. But we have to work somehow; small businesses create many jobs, and people really need work to live,” Elvira said.

Additionally, once generators reach the end of their useful life, the components of battery systems — lithium, cobalt, and nickel — become hazardous. If a battery ends up in a landfill, its cells can release toxins, including heavy metals, which seep into the soil and groundwater. Fires at landfills caused by lithium-ion batteries can burn for years.

A fire in a garbage dump. Photo by Ali Çobanoğlu from Getty Images.

Elvira was upset because she recently paid off her loan for the generator. After the explosion, she had no choice but to take out another loan,this time for a larger amount, due to rising prices and her desire to buy a higher-quality generator than the previous one.

“I’m disappointed. It’s like trying to float, struggling in the water, and finally climbing onto the ice. I’d only been on that ice for a little while when it cracked, and now I’m back in the water,” said Elvira.

She did everything in her power to make her dream of owning her own business a reality, and she continues to fight for its survival every day. However, she often feels that her efforts are insignificant compared to external factors.

Elvira doesn’t understand why world leaders are so reckless about the future: “Rockets completely negate thе efforts [people put into building their future],” Elvira said.

NEWS OF THE DAY:

By Kateryna Antonenko

Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

UKRAINIAN FORCES ATTACKED RUSSIAN TANKER IN LIBYA AS PART OF COVERT DEAL: Libyan officials told the Associated Press that Ukraine hit a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month with the backing of their government and the West.

In early March, the Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, with 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas on board, was badly damaged by Ukrainian sea drones. The vessel belonged to the ‘shadow fleet,’ which helped Russia evade international sanctions for its armed aggression against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian forces were gradually deployed in recent months under a covert deal between Kyiv and the Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, backed by Western countries, including the U.S. This step might be a part of NATO’s efforts to keep the country out of Russia’s reach.

UKRAINIAN MISSILE MAKER TO LAUNCH CHEAP AIR DEFENSE: The Ukrainian company Fire Point plans to develop its own air defense system by 2027. The primary goal is to reduce the cost of intercepting ballistic missiles to less than $1 million, compared to a single Patriot interceptor, which costs approximately $4 million.

The manufacturer, which has already developed the long-range “Flamingo” missile, is attracting European investment and technology. Beyond protecting the skies, the company plans to utilize its advancements to launch satellites into low Earth orbit, strengthening Ukraine’s status as a major player in the global arms market.

RUSSIA USED WIFI ROUTERS FOR ESPIONAGE: The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in collaboration with the FBI and European law enforcement, has neutralized a widespread spying network organized by Russian military intelligence (GRU). The hackers carried out mass breaches of office and home Wi-Fi routers across Ukraine, the US, and the EU, specifically targeting hardware with outdated security protocols.

The joint operation successfully blocked over 100 servers and reclaimed control of hundreds of routers in Ukraine alone. The SBU urges all users to change their passwords, replace old routers with newer models, and disable any remote access to their routers.

LAST RUSSIAN RAILWAY FERRY DESTROYED: On April 6, the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR) damaged Russia’s last railway ferry, Slavianin, using drones.

Based in the city of Kerch, it supplied the Russian army with fuel, machinery, weapons, and munitions. Another ferry, Avangard, was put out of operation in March.

PARTISANS SABOTAGED RAILWAY IN RUSSIA: Agents of the ATESH partisan movement carried out a coordinated double sabotage on a critical railway section between Stary Oskol and Urazovo, the Kyiv Independent reports. They simultaneously destroyed two relay cabinets – key control hubs for train traffic. This railway line serves as a vital supply artery for delivering ammunition and equipment.

As a direct result of the supply disruption, these Russian units suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment due to the lack of timely reinforcements.

DOG OF WAR:

Kateryna’s Lucky enjoys his afternoon nap.

Stay safe out there.

Best,
Oleksandra