Major Power Facility in Kyiv Region Devastated in Russian Offensive
A significant power-generating facility in Ukraine's Kyiv region has been devastated in a recent military offensive by Russian forces, as reported by the energy company Centrenergo. The attack took place on Thursday, resulting in severe damage to the largest power plant in the area.
The Trypilska Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Ukraine's Kyiv region, the largest power-generating plant, was destroyed in a Russian missile attack on Thursday. This attack is part of Moscow's increased targeting of infrastructure.
According to energy company Centrenergo, Russian shelling led to a massive fire at the TPP. The company is currently working to contain the fire in the plant's turbine workshop.
Fortunately, there were no casualties from the attack on Trypilska TPP. The incident did not cause any power cuts in Kyiv or other regions that rely on the plant for electricity supply.
According to a statement from Centrenergo, Trypilska TPP was the main electricity provider for Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Zhytomyr regions.
The energy company has suffered a complete loss of power generation at all three of its plants. These plants have either been destroyed or taken over by Russia, making it a devastating day in Centrenergo's history.
Throughout the past two years of conflict, Russia has been deliberately attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The goal is to weaken the country's power grid and ultimately crush the spirit of the Ukrainian people. This is done by cutting off their access to electricity, heating, water, and other vital services, especially during the harsh winter months.
The largest loss of power in Ukraine occurred soon after the invasion, when Russian forces took over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This plant, the biggest in Europe, used to provide around 20% of the country's electricity. Ukrainian workers have now managed to safely shut down the reactors to avoid any potential radioactive disaster.
DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - APRIL 01: Ukrainian soldiers are seen at their base in Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 01, 2024. (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukrainian soldiers are stationed at their base in Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The photo was taken on April 01, 2024, by Wolfgang Schwan for Anadolu via Getty Images.
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The Trypilska plant was attacked following a recent Russian assault on the company's plant in the Kharkiv region, Zmiivska TPP, on March 22. This was confirmed by the Centrenergo statement. Furthermore, Russian forces seized control of the company's third plant, Vuhlehirska TPP, in the Donetsk region in July 2022. The total designed capacity of the three power plants was 7690 MW, as stated on the company's website.
The statement mentioned that due to the extensive attack today, the entire generation capacity of the company was completely destroyed.
Videos shared on social media depicted large clouds of smoke emerging from Trypilska TPP while a fire persisted.
Andriy Gota, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Centrenergo, expressed his shock at the extent of the damage caused by the fire, emphasizing that the financial cost cannot fully capture the devastation. He acknowledged that this is the most significant challenge the company has faced but remained optimistic about overcoming it.
Svitlana Vlasova reported from Kyiv, Caitlin Danaher wrote in London.
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