War: Russian airstrikes damage Ukrainian energy facilities in three regions

Ukraine’s Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, says Russia launched airstrikes on Ukrainian energy facilities in three regions on Saturday.

Galushchenko said the attack damaged equipment and injured at least one energy worker.

In a Telegram message, he said the Russian strikes targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine and the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said its four thermal power stations were hit.

A statement by DTEK said: “The enemy again massively shelled the Ukrainian energy facilities.

“The company’s equipment was seriously damaged. At this very moment, energy workers are trying to eliminate the consequences of the attack.”

The company said there were casualties but provided no other details.

Since March 22, the Russian forces have ramped up their bombardments of the Ukrainian power sector, attacking thermal and hydropower stations and other energy infrastructure almost daily.

Ukraine has lost about 80 per cent of its thermal generation and about 35 per cent of its hydropower capacity, officials said. Its energy system was already weakened by a Russian air campaign in the first winter of the war that Russia launched in February 2022.

Despite mild spring weather in recent weeks, Ukraine has faced an electricity deficit and the government had to introduce scheduled electricity cut-offs in several regions and turn to emergency electricity imports.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian air defence shot down 13 Russian missiles, said Governor Serhiy Lysak.

“Unfortunately, we could not avoid the consequences. Energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk and Kryvyi Rih regions were damaged, fires broke out.”