Fire breaks out at thermal power plant in Kyiv Oblast, 2 dead

A fire broke out at one of the facilities at the Bila Tserkva Thermal Power Plant, killing at least two people, the State Emergency Service reported on May 21.

The fire was reported around 1 p.m. local time, breaking out at one of the plant's facilities during repair work.

The fire was localized as of 2 p.m. Rescuers continue to work at the scene, while the consequences of the accident are still being determined, the statement read.

The Bila Tserkva Thermal Power Plant is one of Ukraine's critical infrastructure facilities that was severely damaged by a Russian attack in December 2022. Despite the damage, the plant continued to produce heat for residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the region in the winters of 2023 and 2024.

In January 2024, the national commission that regulates the energy and utilities spheres suspended the plant's license due to the change of ownership. The facility was previously owned by Ukrainian oligarch Kostiantyn Zhevago and became municipal property.

Russian semiconductor plant making missile, jet parts hit in Ukrainian attack, military says

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck Russia’s Bolkhov semiconductor plant in Oryol Oblast, which is producing parts for Sukhoi warplanes and Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on May 21.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek