Ukraine seeking spare parts as Russia decimates 80% of thermal generation in recent weeks

As a result of massive Russian missile attacks in Ukraine over the past few weeks, 80% of thermal generation has been destroyed, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in an interview with Estonian outlet ERR on April 4.

"Unfortunately, Russia continues its energy terror – in recent weeks alone, the Russians have destroyed more than six gigawatts of our power grid capacity," said Shmyhal.

“This includes hydropower and coal power. They continue to hit our energy facilities with missiles, destroy transformers and generators. Unfortunately, in recent weeks Russia has destroyed 80 percent of the thermal power plants.”

Read also: Passive defense counters half of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — Ukrenergo

He also noted that Ukraine needs spare parts.

"We know that you have old Soviet-type equipment," said the official.

“It would help us a lot if we had spare parts to restore the affected power plant units and bring some of the power capacities back into operation. We are also working with other partners to create a decentralized energy supply system for the population – today we have interruptions in the supply of electricity to both people and businesses. Unfortunately, this is true. Russia continues its terror... It's terrible – every night they try to destroy civilian infrastructure, kill children, kill civilians, destroy residential buildings. It is indeed a terrorist state.”

The Dnipro HPP lost both power plants due to Russian missile strikes in March 2024. The dam has withstood, but the equipment has been destroyed, and it may take years to restore the plant.

The CHPP-5 in Kharkiv was destroyed, and restoring it is like building a new one, which will also take several years.

Read also: Russia sets stage for more large-scale attacks on Ukraine's energy sector

The Zmiyiv TPP (part of Centrenergo) is destroyed. It is also located in Kharkiv Oblast.

Energy giant DTEK Group (beneficiary - Rinat Akhmetov) said it had lost 50% of its generation. "The current state of the facilities for restoration is worse than it was last year," said YASNO CEO Serhiy Kovalenko.

All power units at Burshtyn and Ladyzhyn TPPs were damaged.

A gas storage facility in western Ukraine was also damaged.

Read also: Thousands in Odesa Oblast lose power following new Russian attack on energy infrastructure

Following the attack on March 22, emergency power outages were introduced in six oblasts of Ukraine (Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Sumy), with Kharkiv and Odesa being separately blacked out (as of the end of the day on March 30, emergency power outages remained in place only in Kharkiv Oblast - ed.)

Ukraine started record electricity imports.

The losses of the power system are so great that it is unclear whether Ukraine will be able to restore generation in time for the new cold season, with losses of at least 10%.

DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk said on April 1, 2024 that Russia had taken 80% of DTEK’s generation capacity out of commission.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine