Russia's Intensified Attacks on Ukraine

 

All thermal power plants (TPP) operated by Ukraine's state-owned energy company Centrenergo are down following "the largest Russian attack" which targeted all of them, the company announced on Nov. 8.

According to the company, the same thermal power plants that had been restored after attacks in 2024 were struck again, with multiple Russian drones targeting them "each minute" overnight on Nov. 8.

Ukrainian forces downed 406 out of the 458 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russia also launched 45 cruise and ballistic missiles, nine of which were downed, the statement said.

Centrenergo operates three thermal power plants, which were essentially all the company's assets: Trypillia in Kyiv Oblast, Zmiivska in Kharkiv Oblast, and Vuhlehirska in Donetsk Oblast.

Last spring, Centrenergo announced that the Zmiivska thermal power plant had beed completely destroyed. On July 25, 2022, Russian troops occupied the Vuhlehirska thermal power plant. The recent attack destroyed all restored capacity, leaving the plants generating no power, the company said.

"For safety reasons, we remained silent, but we did everything possible to ensure that Ukrainians got through the last winter with electricity and heat, overcoming hellish challenges to successfully start the current heating season," Centrenergo said.

"Less than a month has passed since the previous strike, and last night the enemy again hit all of our power generation facilities simultaneously."

Throughout the fall, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as it attempts to plunge the country into yet another harsh winter. One of the worst strikes on Oct. 3 and 5 wiped out around 60% of Ukraine’s gas production sites.

During the Nov. 8 attack Russia primarily targeted the cities of Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv, causing emergency power cuts in several regions.

-Kyiv Independent