90% of Ukraine’s thermal power capacity destroyed – prime minister

Almost all of Ukraine’s thermal power generation capabilities have been destroyed by Russian long-range strikes, Prime Minister Denis Shmigal has said, adding that the country must now rely on substitutes.

Writing on Telegram on Tuesday, Shmigal said Kiev is doing its best to increase energy sustainability, especially in frontline regions and areas bordering Russia. He added that “cities that depend on large thermal power plants are especially vulnerable,” given that Russia “purposefully attacked” these types of facilities, “destroying or damaging almost 90% of all thermal power generation” in the country. 

The prime minister added that Kiev’s priority is to provide these regions with alternative sources of heat and electricity, noting that Kharkov, the country’s second-largest city, has received dozens of energy equipment units, including powerful electricity generators.

Ukraine suffered an acute power shortage this summer, despite importing electricity from neighboring states. The government has repeatedly urged the population to save electricity, while Ukraine’s state-run energy company, Ukrenergo, imposed power supply restrictions on industrial consumers. 

In September, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission warned that Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure could bring “devastating consequences” to the country as winter looms. 

In light of this, experts interviewed by the agency predicted winter power outages of between four and 18 hours per day as cold weather sets in. However, Energy Minister German Galuschenko disagreed with this assessment, saying that while outages are possible, they would be caused by emergency repairs and would not be systemic. He also insisted that Ukraine’s power grid is now better protected by air defense systems.

Aleksandr Litvinenko, the secretary of the National Defense and Security Council, said Kiev expects new massive Russian strikes once the heating season arrives in Ukraine.  

Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukrainian military and energy facilities in recent months. In April, the Defense Ministry said they are a response to Kiev’s attempts to target Russian oil infrastructure, stressing that the targeted facilities support the Ukrainian defense industry, and that the strikes do not target civilians. Ukraine has repeatedly launched long-range attacks on energy infrastructure deep inside Russia, including oil depots and refineries, using kamikaze drones.

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