Ukraine can no longer offset its energy deficit by importing electricity from Europe after a massive Russian missile and drone attack damaged key power plants across six regions overnight on 8 May.
Volodymyr Kudrytskyy, head of national energy company UkrEnergo, stated that the damage was extensive, substantially reducing generation capacity.
???????????? "Importing electricity from Europe can no longer compensate for the deficit in Ukraine's energy system following massive Russian strikes," warns UkrEnergo CEO Kudrytskyi.
????????'s system has a finite capacity for processing foreign electricity, making it hard to expand imports. pic.twitter.com/DC5GLEgKQb
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) May 8, 2024
“The damage is quite extensive, and the loss of generation is quite substantial. So substantial that even importing electricity from Europe cannot fully cover the deficit that has emerged in the energy system,” he told Ukrainska Pravda.
Many crucial power plants were hit, so repair work is ongoing constantly—different facilities have varying degrees of damage.
Earlier, Ukrenergo announced that due to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, they imposed electricity restrictions for industry and businesses from 6 PM to 11 PM.
However, the company appeals to all citizens to temporarily reduce electricity usage in the evenings to prevent wider blackouts.
On May 8th, a massive Russian missile and kamikaze drone attack targeted energy facilities across six Ukrainian oblasts – Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia. Over 50 missiles and 20 drones were launched in this latest of several major strikes on Ukraine’s power grid since the start of 2024.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russian ballistic missile strikes damaged half of Ukraine’s energy system.
Read more:
- Ukraine imposes power cuts for businesses amid Russian strikes
- Ministry of Energy: Russian massive attack hit power facilities in six oblasts overnight, injuring at least 3 people
- Ukraine seeks emergency assistance from EU countries amid Russian ballistic strikes
- Denmark allocates new funding for renewable energy infrastructure in Ukraine, strengthening green initiatives
- Overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Russia targets oil depot, energy infrastructure