Ukrainian Power Plant Damaged in Another Russian Assault on Energy Infrastructure

Russian forces launched another massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, June 20, targeting power facilities across four regions. The assault damaged infrastructure in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kyiv regions, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

The attack involved a combination of missiles and drones, including:

• 4 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles launched from TU-95 strategic aircraft over the Caspian Sea
• 3 Iskander-M ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region
• 2 Kh-59 guided missiles from the Sea of Azov
• 27 Shahed-131/136 drones launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk

“The enemy’s air attack was repelled by fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare equipment of the Air Forces, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine,” the report indicates.

Ukraine’s energy operator, Ukrenergo, has reported significant damage to the country’s civil energy infrastructure. Efforts are ongoing to assess the full impact.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this month the aerial bombardments have halved the country’s electricity production compared to a year ago, disrupting and limiting supplies for millions.

In Vinnytsia, regional head Serhii Borzov confirmed a critical infrastructure site was hit by drones. While there were no injuries, emergency measures were promptly implemented.

Kyiv also came under attack. According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, Shahed drones attempted to strike from the northeast but were intercepted by air defence forces. No casualties or significant damage were reported in the capital.

DTEK, a major energy company, reported that one of its thermal power plants was struck, injuring three employees and causing severe equipment damage.

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The Ukrainian military regularly reports that Russian forces are resorting to ‘meat assaults,’ sending wounded or poorly trained fighters into battle as cannon fodder.

This marks the seventh major attack on DTEK facilities in the past three months, with over 180 attacks since the invasion began, resulting in 53 injuries and three fatalities among workers.

A senior Ukrainian energy official has recently warned that scheduled power outages and emergency blackouts will intensify over the coming weeks, after a string of Russian attacks crippled Ukrainian electricity generation.

“Over the next few weeks, the situation will be much tougher than it is today,” the head of national grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kydrytsky said in an interview late on Sunday.

He said periods during which Ukrainians might not have power were likely to be extended by up to 12 hours per day and that outages could become more “stringent.”

“This situation will continue until the end of July,” Kydrytsky said in the interview, broadcast on state media.

Oleksandr Kharchenko, the chairman of the Center for Energy Research, noted that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is currently operating at a critically low capacity, suggesting potential winter blackouts lasting up to 20 hours without light or heating under the worst conditions.