Russia attacked over 10 energy facilities, hundreds of thousands of families without power - Zelensky
On the night of October 19, Russian troops carried out a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. More than ten energy facilities were damaged, and at least 550,000 families were left without electricity. Power outage schedules and capacity restrictions for industry were introduced in some regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi, and NEC "Ukrenergo" reported on the consequences of the shelling.
According to Zelensky, the main targets of the night attack were energy and infrastructure facilities. Russian troops used 16 ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv and Kyiv region, as well as over 200 drones of various types, including jet-powered "Shaheds".
Energy facilities were hit in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Odesa, and Rivne regions.
"In just this one night, more than 10 energy infrastructure facilities were damaged and at least 550,000 families were left without power", - the president reported.
He noted that repair crews are already working at the damage sites. The mentioned number of families characterizes the scale of outages as a result of the attack, not necessarily the current number of consumers without electricity after the start of restoration work.
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi confirmed that the main strike of Russian troops was aimed at energy and infrastructure. At the same time, he reported damage to other civilian objects.
According to the head of government, the Russians also attacked warehouses with medicines, railway stations, commercial premises, residential buildings, and other civilian infrastructure.
Zelensky added that as a result of the night strikes, a medical clinic, a school, and a metro station were damaged. The specific scale of destruction of all these objects is still being clarified.
According to "Ukrenergo", as of the morning of October 19, new outages as a result of Russian shelling were recorded in ten regions: Volyn, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv.
Energy workers are carrying out emergency restoration work where the security situation allows. At the same time, restoration of damaged equipment and search for opportunities for the fastest possible reconnection of consumers are ongoing.
Due to damage to the energy system, consumption restrictions will be in effect in some regions until the end of October 19. For industrial enterprises, capacity restriction schedules are provided, and for all categories of consumers - schedules of hourly outages of up to two stages.
"Ukrenergo" explained that the restrictions are necessary to prevent overloading of equipment that was damaged as a result of previous Russian attacks.
The specific time of outages depends on the region. Consumers are advised to check the schedules on official websites and pages of their regional energy companies, as the situation in the energy system may change.
An additional factor was the increase in electricity consumption. According to "Ukrenergo", on October 19 as of 09:30 it was 4.5% higher than at the same time on the previous working day - October 16.
The company explained this by cloudy and rainy weather, which reduced the efficiency of household solar power plants. Accordingly, the volume of electricity that consumers receive from the general grid increased.
In addition, on the evening of October 18, maximum consumption was 2.9% higher than the previous Sunday. The reason was the cold snap and more active use of electric heaters.
Some power outages were caused by bad weather. Due to rains and strong gusts of wind in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv regions, as of the morning, about 140 settlements were completely or partially without electricity. These outages are related to weather conditions, not directly to missile strikes.
As a result of Russian attacks, there are also dead and wounded. According to Koretskyi, one person died in Kyiv, and eight more were injured. In Kharkiv region, six people were injured, including two children, and in Rivne, two people were injured.
"Ukrenergo" urges Ukrainians to consume electricity sparingly and limit the use of powerful electrical appliances in the evening from 16:00 to 22:00. This will help reduce the load on the damaged energy system during restoration work.
Based on materials: NEC "Ukrenergo" rel="nofollow", Volodymyr Zelensky, Serhiy Koretskyi