According to Prime Minister Denis Shmigal, almost the entire thermal power system of Ukraine has been attacked by Russia, causing serious damage to the national energy infrastructure. Kiev is facing the need to find alternative solutions to supply energy, especially in the frontline areas and regions bordering Russia.
In a Telegram message on October 15, Mr. Shmigal said Kiev was working to increase the sustainability of the country's energy system, stressing that cities that depend on large thermal power plants were becoming vulnerable targets.
Mr. Shmigal stated that Russia "deliberately attacked" these facilities, causing "nearly 90% of thermal power production capacity" to be destroyed or damaged.
Kiev is focusing on providing alternative energy sources to the worst-hit areas, and Kharkov, Ukraine's second-largest city, has received a batch of energy equipment, including large-capacity generators to maintain power supplies.
Electricity shortages have worsened this summer, despite Ukraine importing electricity from neighboring countries. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly called on citizens to conserve electricity, while the state power company Ukrenergo has also imposed power consumption restrictions on major industries.
In September, the UN Human Rights Watch warned that Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure could lead to "catastrophic consequences" as winter approaches.
Experts predict that Ukrainians could face power outages lasting from four to 18 hours a day this coming winter.
However, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galuschenko dismissed this assessment, saying that while power outages could occur, they would be the result of emergency incidents and not of a systemic nature. He also asserted that Ukraine's power grid is now better protected by air defense systems.
Aleksandr Litvinenko, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said Kiev expected more major attacks from Russia as winter began.
