Main power plant near Kyiv destroyed in Russian airstrikes
Kyiv’s biggest power plant was completely destroyed in the early hours of yesterday morning during targeted air raids against energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
Russia launched 82 missiles and drones, many of them directed at substations and generation facilities in Odesa, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Kyiv regions. About a third evaded air defences.
Centrenergo, one of the country’s largest energy providers, said that its Trypilska power plant, just outside Kyiv, had been levelled during the raid. The facility was the largest provider of electricity for three regions in central Ukraine – Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr.
“The scale of the destruction is horrifying,” said Andriy Hota, the chairperson of Centrenergo. “It cannot be assessed in monetary terms. This is the biggest challenge for us in the entire history of the enterprise. But I am convinced, we will cope with it.”
The company owns a second plant in the Kharkiv region, which was destroyed in late March, and a third in an area of the Donetsk region that was taken over by Russia in 2022.
The destruction of the Trypilska plant would become a “giant problem” by winter, but would not be a critical issue for Ukraine in summer, Hota told the BBC.
He said the plant could be rebuilt using spare parts from Europe, but added that it would be vulnerable to attack without powerful air defences from Ukraine’s allies.
“We can repair. We can do the impossible. But we need protection,” he said.
In the Kharkiv region, more than 200,000 people were left without electricity after Russia launched 10 missiles. Residents were told to expect power restrictions throughout the day and the city’s metro system stopped running to save energy.
The region has borne the brunt of Russia’s aerial bombardment over the past three months. Blackouts are common and the sound of generators can be heard all over the city as residents and businesses endeavour to carry on.
At least two more power plants suffered significant damage overnight in the west of Ukraine, placing even more strain on electricity supply nationwide.
Last week, DTEK – the country’s largest private energy company – said it had lost 80% of its generating capacity.
A spokesman for the company said yesterday scheduled blackouts would become a reality.
“It will also be painful for heavy industries, particularly military production, and the economy in general,” he said. “Unfortunately, since it is not the winter season, we can’t expect massive support from our western partners.”
Ukrenergo, the state-owned power company, said the attacks would mean that during peak hours the country would have less capacity to cover consumption.
“The loss of thermal power plants, as well as any large generation facility, will not impact the country’s energy balance positively,” its report said.