Two hydropower plants decommissioned after May 8 Russian attacks
Two Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants have been decommissioned due to the damage from the May 8 Russian attacks, state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo reported on May 9.
Russia carried out a large-scale attack on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure.
"As of today, all hydropower generation has suffered devastating damage. Destroyed equipment requires significant efforts and financial resources to repair and restore it," Ukrhydroenergo's statement read.
Russian troops struck electricity generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia oblasts, according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, also reported that three thermal power plants had been damaged in the attacks on May 8. The company did not specify the location of the facilities.
In total, Ukrainian forces downed 39 of 55 missiles and 20 of 21 drones launched by the Russian military overnight on May 8, as the Air Force reported.
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, March 29, April 11, April 27, apart from May 8.
Chris York
