2024-04-12 20:49:36
In the attacks against the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, which the Russian army undertook in the last month, most of the thermal power plants in the attacked country were destroyed or captured, DPA reported, referring to the statements of the affected companies and publications in Ukrainian media.
“After the latest shelling and the destruction of the Tripilya TPP, the state-owned company Centenergo lost 100% of its electricity production capacity,” the Ukrainska Pravda news site reported today.
The information was released after the destruction of the thermal power plant near Zmiiv in Kharkiv region, Eastern Ukraine. The Uglegorsk power plant in the Donetsk region, which is also owned by Centernergo, has been under Russian control since the summer of 2022, BTA reported.
Ukraine’s largest private power company, DTEK, said five of its six power plants were severely damaged and only 20 percent of its power generation capacity remained intact. According to “Ukrainska Pravda”, however, after the latest attacks, this percentage has decreased.
The third operator of thermal power plants – “Donbasenergo” is in no better position. The power plant near Starobeshevo in the Donetsk region has been under the control of pro-Russian separatists since 2015. The company’s second power plant – near the city of Slavyansk – is regularly under fire, representatives of “Donbasenergo” reported.
Russia is also attacking Ukrainian hydroelectric plants. Missile attacks in March disabled the large Dnepr hydroelectric plant in the Zaporozhye region.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, the attacks were focused on tets and vets, which play an important role in stabilizing the grid, as they are able to quickly increase electricity production in the morning and evening, when consumption rises significantly.
The three Ukrainian nuclear power plants that remain under Ukrainian control have not been attacked.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko recently stated that nuclear plants provide more than 50% of Ukraine’s electricity production.
Meanwhile, the state-owned Energy Company of Ukraine (EKU) announced that it is increasing electricity imports from the EU to compensate for damage from Russian attacks, Ukrinform reported.
From mid-March 2024, EKU has doubled its electricity imports on a daily basis. In addition to Slovakia and Romania, the state-owned company started importing electricity from Hungary as of March.