80% of DTEK's energy capacity damaged, destroyed after Russian March attacks
In March, Russian attacks damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK, the company's Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk said on March 30.
Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country on March 22 and 29.
Over the past month, DTEK's facilities have been reportedly targeted at least ten times. Five of the company's six thermal power plants have been "severely damaged," with some units almost completely destroyed and some partially destroyed, according to Sakharuk.
"(A March 29 attack) was the second biggest attack in March. The previous one was a week ago. The consequences of these two attacks, which were very 'effective,' are the damage to much electricity generation and distribution facilities," Sakharuk said on national television.
DTEK said that on March 29 three of its power plants were struck and seriously damaged, without disclosing where the impacted power plants were located. Russian attacks injured one of the company's worker and at least five other civilians.
Martin Fornusek
Russia's March 22 strike destroyed the Zmiiv thermal power plant, which is among the largest in Kharkiv Oblast, according to the state-owned energy company Centrenergo.
Recent attacks also damaged all power units of Burshtyn thermal power plant in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Ladyzhyn thermal power plant in Vinnytsia Oblast, Sakharuk said in an interview with Economic Pravda.
Among Moscow's other targets in March were Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast, Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast and Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant.
The Hydroelectric Power Station-2 (HPS-2), one of the two stations of the latter, is in critical condition following the attack. The dam itself suffered damage as well, but officials said that there was no risk of a breach.
Olena Goncharova
