Russia attacks thermal power plants, causing ‘serious damage’, operator says

Russia targeted thermal power plants in a massive attack on the country’s power grid on November 17, causing “severe damage”, according to the country’s largest private energy company, DTEK.

Russia targeted energy supplies across Ukraine in what was one of the heaviest attacks on the country’s power grid during the entire large-scale war, with Russia launching around 120 missiles and 90 drones.

“DTEK’s thermal power stations were attacked. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties,” the company said in a statement statement. The location of the energy stations is not specified, probably for security reasons.

Energy equipment was severely damaged, but DTEK employees started repair work after the end of the attack. The company says this is the eighth mass attack on its power plants this year.

“In total, DTEK thermal power stations have been bombarded more than 190 times since the start of the large-scale invasion,” the energy operator said.

Russia targeted “power generation and transmission facilities across Ukraine,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said.

“The transmission system operator has urgently introduced emergency shutdowns,” Halushchenko said said. Energy infrastructure facilities were reported damaged in Volyn and Vinnytsia oblasts.

Officials have been warning that Russia could resume attacks on the energy grid if 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 previous Russian attacks had destroyed all of Ukraine’s thermal power plants and almost all hydropower capacity. Ukrainian authorities and energy companies have repaired and strengthened energy facilities in anticipation of new attacks.

According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) reportUkraine’s electricity shortage could reach 6 gigawatts this winter due to the attacks, which is about a third of expected peak demand. This summer, the power shortage amounted to 2.5 GW when Kiev was already experiencing prolonged power outages.

Kiev hit by first mass attack in two months, while Russia launches drones and missiles at Ukraine

Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine overnight on November 17. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said that due to falling drone debris, an apartment on the fourth floor of a five-story residential building in the Pechersk district caught fire. the city, in which two people were injured.