DTEK: Russian strikes damage thermal power plant

Russian forces attacked a thermal power plant operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK in the evening of Oct. 22, causing significant damage, the company said on Oct. 23.

The company did not report any casualties. Repair work began after the attack was over, DTEK said.

The company did not reveal the extent of the damage caused, nor where the power plant is located, presumably for security reasons.

Earlier on Oct. 2, Russia attacked DTEK warehouses in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, causing damage to cables, transformers, and other electrical equipment.

Russia has repeatedly attacked critical infrastructure across Ukraine since early October 2022, killing dozens of people and causing mass power outages across the country.

Moscow has admitted that Ukraine's energy system is one of its primary targets. According to the Geneva Convention, attacking vital public infrastructure constitutes a war crime.

As Ukraine braces for the inevitable uptick in Russian strikes against the energy grid in winter, preparations are being made to mitigate the damage and defend critical infrastructure.

Ukraine's allies have contributed resources to help the country prepare for the likely attacks.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Oct. 16 said that the U.S. had allocated $522 million to purchase energy equipment for Ukraine and protect the country’s electricity infrastructure.

DTEK has also taken steps as well. General director Ildar Saleyev on Oct. 20 said that the company had imported over 38,000 metric tons of coal from Poland, part of the 210,000 metric tons the DTEK plans to import this winter to help ensure the stability of the company's power plants.

Read also: Ukrainian energy company on Russia’s attacks on infrastructure: ‘No system in the world has faced the same’

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