Ukraine’s power grid the focus of repeated attackspublished at 13:27 British Summer Time
Paul Adams
BBC World Affairs
It’s a measure of how long Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s
energy infrastructure have been going on that this morning’s massive barrage
was described as “usual business” by one Kyiv-based energy expert.
Since the very start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, two
and a half years ago, Ukraine’s power grid has been the focus of repeated, even
relentless attacks.
The country is bracing itself for a third full winter of
such attacks, which have targeted every part of the grid, including substations
and major power plants.
Ukraine has weathered the storm, but Russia’s assault has
grown in sophistication, often using coordinated strikes by drones, cruise, and
ballistic missiles in an attempt to penetrate and degrade Ukraine’s
air-defences.
In March, the operational director of the energy company
DTEK said Russia’s missile attacks were increasingly accurate, with devastating
results.
In Kyiv, residents reported blackouts this morning, after a
month of almost uninterrupted power.
Cold weather is still some way off, but with half of
Ukraine’s power generation capacity destroyed (as of June this year), the
country is bracing itself for another tough winter.