Russia attacks thermal power plants, dealing 'serious damage,' operator says
Russia targeted thermal power plants during a mass strike on the country's power grid on Nov. 17, dealing "serious damage," said the country's largest private energy company, DTEK.
Russia targeted energy facilities throughout Ukraine in what was one of the heaviest strikes on the country's power grid during the entire full-scale war, with Russia launching around 120 missiles and 90 drones.
"DTEK thermal power plants came under attack. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties," the company said in a statement. The location of the energy stations was not specified, presumably due to security reasons.
Energy equipment was heavily damaged, but DTEK employees began repair work after the end of the attack. The company says this marks the eighth mass attack on its energy plants this year.
"In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, DTEK thermal power plants have been fired upon more than 190 times," the energy operator said.
Russia targeted "power generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine," according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
"The transmission system operator has urgently introduced emergency shutdowns," Halushchenko said. Energy infrastructure facilities were reported as damaged in the Volyn and Vinnytsia oblasts.
Officials have been warning that Russia may resume strikes on the energy grid as temperatures drop, mirroring the strategy used in the spring and summer of this year and in the autumn-winter season of 2022-2023.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in September that past Russian attacks had destroyed all of Ukraine's thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity. Ukrainian authorities and energy companies have been repairing and reinforcing energy facilities in the expectation of renewed attacks.
According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, Ukraine's electricity shortage could reach 6 gigawatts this winter as a result of the attacks, which is about one-third of the expected peak demand. This summer, the power shortage was 2.5 GW when Kyiv was already experiencing long blackouts.
Dmytro Basmat
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