Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy sector
Russia is intensifying attacks on energy infrastructure, using different types of weapons simultaneously and applying targeted massive strikes on individual facilities, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said.
"We see that there are targeted massive attacks on critical energy infrastructure facilities, when 20 drones fly to one of the gas infrastructure facilities at the same time. And 40, and 60 drones also fly. In addition, mines in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions are suffering. These attacks are the biggest challenge for the energy sector and the heating season," Hrynchuk on Thursday.
She also noted that almost every day and every night, various energy facilities in different regions are being damaged by Russian attacks.
"Both the gas and electricity infrastructure are suffering, especially in the frontline regions, in particular, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk. Yesterday, an energy facility was severely damaged in Sumy, and the number of disconnections reached 200,000 consumers at the same time. Energy workers restored them, and then repeated shelling. However, 20,000 remained disconnected in the morning, because most of the consumers were connected," the minister described the situation.
Hrynchuk emphasized that Ukraine is preparing for the heating season according to the plan in all specified areas, which include both restoration work and strengthening the protection of facilities. According to her, energy workers are doing everything possible to ensure a stable winter.
As reported, on the night of August 27, the Russians used drones to attack energy and gas infrastructure facilities in six regions of Ukraine - Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia. Damage to equipment at one of the key substations in Sumy led to a power outage in a significant part of the city and industrial consumers.