Russia Hits Ukrainian Power Stations with Christmas Day Attacks

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported power outages across large areas of the country after Russia fired missiles against DTEK power stations in strikes on Christmas day. DTEK said it was the 13th massive attack on Ukrainian energy systems this year, and the 10th to target DTEK power stations. At least one long-time power engineer—Dmytro Petlenko, who worked at one of DTEK’s thermal power plants—was killed during the attacks. Petlenko had reportedly spent more than 30 years working in Ukraine’s energy sector including at the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant and more recently at another DTEK facility after relocating as a result of the war. The latest Russian attack caused serious damage to Ukraine’s power system, with outages reported across the Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and Kyiv regions. DTEK said its teams are still assessing the damage and working to restore power as quickly as possible. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, DTEK said its thermal power plants have endured more than 200 missile, drone, and artillery strikes (Figure 1). [caption id="attachment_227315" align="aligncenter" width="740"]

Employees work to clean up debris at a DTEK power station after a Russian attack in March 2024. The precise location and date were not disclosed due to security restrictions. Courtesy: DTEK[/caption] Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, posted on the social platform X, “There are no depths to which russia will not sink. Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered. We appeal to every ally of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by giving our armed forces the air defence ammunition they need to protect essential energy infrastructure.” In late November, the European Commission (EC) and U.S. government agreed to provide aid to DTEK to help keep the lights on in Ukraine. The EC offered €62.8 million while the U.S. added $46.1 million to rebuild capacity destroyed in Russian strikes and to winterize power plants that had been damaged. At the time, DTEK said about 90% of its thermal generation capacity had been affected by attacks over the spring and summer. The EC funding was expected to be used on equipment and materials to restore 1.8 GW of generating capacity, and also to protect power plant equipment from snow, rain, and sub-zero temperatures. The U.S. money was slated to purchase control systems and dozens of new transformers critical to energy supplies. The U.S. had already provided DTEK with important equipment for grid teams, including cherry picker (bucket) trucks, pickups, transformers, and electrical wire, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Meanwhile, world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, a native of Ukraine, helped raise global attention on the devastating impact of Russian attacks, as he prepared to defend his title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month. DTEK partnered with Usyk in its #FightForLight campaign to highlight the critical state of Ukraine's energy system, and to appeal for the urgent delivery of replacement equipment for all Ukrainian energy companies and ammunition for air defense systems. Said Usyk, “Every day, Ukraine’s energy system suffers from brutal Russian attacks. Air defense forces, rescuers, and energy workers are making heroic efforts to ensure Ukrainians have light and warmth in their homes. Let’s support them and remember that we will get through this together. We are the light—Ukrainians who shine for the whole world.” DTEK says in receiving any financial or equipment support, the company adheres to strict anti-corruption and transparency measures, using a process outlined with consultants KPMG. —Aaron Larson is POWER’s executive editor.