Kyiv Sums Up Results of Most Difficult Heating Season in Country’s Contemporary History

During the 2022-2023 heating season, the Russians launched more than 1,200 missile and kamikaze drone attacks on key energy facilities throughout Ukraine, damaging 43% of backbone networks.

“The enemy was striking power plants and facilities of backbone networks deliberately. And as soon as the air alerts ended, the repair crews entered the battle – more than 1,500 specialists only here, at Ukrenergo,” the press service of the Ukrenergo National Power Company informs.

In total, out of 1,200 missiles and drones launched, more than 250 hit the target, as a result of which all thermal and hydroelectric power plants throughout Ukraine suffered varying degrees of damage.

Thanks to the prompt assistance of European partners, Ukrenergo received almost 500 pieces of equipment, and even more are being manufactured and going to Ukraine. The combined efforts made it possible to restore about 80% of the damaged backbone network.

According to the World Bank and UNDP estimates, only the primary needs for the restoration and protection of the Ukrenergo high-voltage network this year amount to almost $1 billion.

Currently, Ukrainian power plants produce enough electricity to meet the needs of consumers, and the state of the networks allows to do without power outages.

At the same time, British intelligence states that Russia failed to degrade Ukraine’s unified energy system last autumn and winter, and now the aggressor has curtailed this campaign.

“Russia’s campaign to severely degrade Ukraine’s unified energy system (UES) within the 2022-23 winter has highly likely failed. Russia has conducted long range strikes since October 2022, but large-scale attacks have become rare since early March 2023. Smaller scale strikes (with fewer than 25 munitions) continue, but are highly likely having much less impact on the UES,” the intelligence notes.

The report also says that Ukraine’s network operating companies continue to source needed components, in particular replacement transformers, and Ukraine’s energy situation will likely improve with the arrival of warmer weather.

Bohdan Marusyak