KYIV: Russian attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, the latest strike on the already damaged power infrastructure. Authorities said that Russian troops had fired around 99 drones and missiles at the country overnight and that Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed 58 drones and more than 24 missiles.
Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that eighty-four air targets were destroyed by the country’s air defence. It added that 58 shaheds and around 26 missiles were downed launched overnight.
Earlier, Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo said that the country’s energy facilities were the main target of an overnight Russian attack. Ukrenergo said that thermal and hydro power plants were damaged in the Russian attack.
The sweeping strikes, the biggest of which took place last Friday, have already caused major destruction to production and transmission facilities in the country, forcing Kyiv to stop power exports and rely on imports.
Ukrenergo stated that during the night, the Russians attacked again at energy facilities in a huge and combined strike. It maintained that thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western areas were damaged.
According to Ukrainian television this morning blasts were heard in Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi regions and the city of Dnipro as Russian missiles were spotted in the country’s air space.
On the other hand, the major private power company DTEK said its 3 thermal power plants were targeted. The firm said in a statement that the equipment was severely damaged in the attack. After the strike ended, the power engineers prompt started to repair the damage of the power plants.
Ukrainian power distributor Yasno has said this week DTEK lost around fifty percent of its capacity following being hit by Russian attacks.p/Feature/world
