Halushchenko: Over the past three years, Russia has launched more than 30 massive attacks on the Ukrainian energy system

Halushchenko: Over the past three years, Russia has launched more than 30 massive attacks on the Ukrainian energy system

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko reported that over the course of three years since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has carried out more than 30 massive air attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities.

The head of the Ministry of Energy reported this on Facebook.

The minister noted that the total damage from these attacks is estimated at "billions of dollars".

Halushchenko emphasized that Russia uses energy as a weapon, attempting to leave Ukraine without light and heat. According to him, each massive attack involves 100-300 means of destruction simultaneously, targeting power plants, substations, power lines, and gas infrastructure.

Additionally, the head of the Ministry of Energy noted that Russia conducts daily targeted strikes on energy facilities and creates the threat of a nuclear disaster by attacking critical facilities near nuclear power plants.

"The enemy has occupied 18 GW of generation, including hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, and the largest nuclear power plant in Europe — the Zaporizhzhya NPP," Halushchenko’s statement reads.

He also shared that just a few hours before the invasion began on February 24, 2022, Ukraine disconnected from the Russian and Belarusian power systems. According to him, it was anticipated that the isolation mode would last three days, but the country did not return to their power network.

Halushchenko added that under such conditions, the Ukrainian power system endured 21 days of autonomous operation, and on March 16, 2022, it connected to the European power grid ENTSO-E.