A massive missile bombardment destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest power plants and left others severely damaged, officials said.
The Trypilska plant, which was the largest energy supplier for the kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, was left in flames after the transformer, turbines and generators were destroyed.
Workers were able to save themselves by running for cover after the drone’s first impact, said Andrii Gota of Centrenergo, the state-owned company that runs the plant.
He told the BBC: ‘The scale of the destruction is horrific. It cannot be assessed in monetary terms. This is the biggest challenge for us in the entire history of the company. But I am convinced we will overcome it.’
The Trypilska plant was the largest energy supplier for the kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions. Rescuers put out fire after Russian attack
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said there are more than 200,000 people in the region. Smoke and fire rise from missile attack site amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine
He said the plant could be rebuilt but would be vulnerable to attack without powerful air defenses from Ukraine’s allies.
He said: ‘We can repair. We can do the impossible. But we need protection.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities as a response to Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian oil refineries.
Russia has recently renewed its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, and last month’s attacks left much of the country in darkness.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities as a response to Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian oil refineries.
The Trypilska plant supplied electricity to three million customers, but none lost electricity because the grid was able to compensate as demand is low at this time of year.
Still, the consequences of the strikes could be felt in the coming months, as air conditioning use increases during the summer.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said more than 200,000 people in the region, which has been repeatedly hit, were left without power.
Russia has recently renewed its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, and last month’s attacks left much of the country without power, a level of darkness not seen since the early days of the full-scale invasion in 2022.