Russian troops hit Ukraine’s energy facilities: Dnipro HPP damaged

On the night of March 22, Russian invaders launched over 60 Shahed drones and nearly 90 missiles of various types over Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced this in the morning on social media.

This was the largest attack on the Ukrainian energy sector in recent times. As a result, some regions are experiencing problems with energy supply.

Power plants, electricity transmission and distribution systems in various regions were hit. Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power plant, DniproHES hydroelectric dam in the Zaporizhzhia region, was also hit.

DTEK’s thermal power plants were also hit by missiles. As a result, the plants’ equipment was seriously damaged.

“This night, Russia launched over 60 ‘Shahed’ drones and nearly 90 missiles of various types over Ukraine. The world sees the Russian terrorists’ targets as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, and even a trolleybus. Russia is at war against ordinary people’s lives. My condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this terror,” Zelenskyi wrote.

The President of Ukraine noted that all the cities affected by the attack are already operating the necessary services.

According to him, power supply is being restored in Kharkiv and its region, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipro, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi and its region, Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk.

In particular, on the morning of March 22, Russian troops attacked the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant, the DniproHES hydroelectric dam in the Zaporizhzhia region. A fire occurred at the plant, but there is no threat of a dam breach, Ukrhydroenergo hydropower generating company reported. The police reported that traffic on the road crossing of the dam was completely restricted.

Secretary of Zaporizhzhia City Council Anatolii Kurtiev said that 2 detached houses had been completely destroyed by the missile strike on the Zaporizhzhia region, and 7 more buildings were partially destroyed. In total, more than 150 buildings (both detached and multi-storey) were damaged in the city. The head of Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov said that, according to preliminary data, there were one dead and eight wounded.

Energoatom nuclear power plant said that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was “on the verge of blackout” due to a massive attack on the Zaporizhzhia region.

It is also known that as a result of a massive missile attack on Kharkiv, the critical infrastructure was hit. There is no electricity supply in the city.

Critical infrastructure and residential buildings were also damaged in Khmelnytskyi. There are wounded and dead people.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, during a combined missile and air strike on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure on the night of March 22, Russians fired 151 missiles and drones. Among them:

• 63 Shahed-136/131 UAVs;
• 12 Iskander-M ballistic missiles;
• 40 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles launched from thirteen Tu-95MS strategic bombers;
• 5 Kh-22 cruise missiles from five Tu-22M3 bombers;
• 7 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles from ten MiG-31Ks;
• 2 Kh-59 cruise missiles from two Su-30/Su-34;
• 22 S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles.

Ukrainian air defense destroyed 92 air targets:

• 55 Shahed-136/131 drones;
• 35 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;
• 2 Kh-59 cruise missiles.

The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine emphasized that today’s Russian strike was the largest attack on the Ukrainian energy sector in recent times.