Concrete and sand: Ukraine prepares for new Russian strikes on energy sector

Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, shared the information with the FT.

According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine is better prepared for attacks on energy infrastructure this year.

"At a critical electricity grid substation in northern Ukraine, a wall of concrete blocks has been erected to protect transformers. Gabions, or cylinder cages filled with rocks or sand, can be seen surrounding another nearby substation, the location of which cannot be revealed due to wartime security rules," Shmyhal told the FT.

"We call it passive defense," he added.

The Prime Minister noted that the defense is still not 100% effective, but it will work in 80-90% of cases, especially against drones that deviate from the course or whose debris falls on critical infrastructure after interception.

The FT notes that infrastructure elements that do not require ventilation have been moved underground.

It is worth noting that in August, Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s energy company, said that Ukraine could not hide transformers underground to protect them from Russian attacks because it would be time-consuming and expensive. There are no underground substations with a voltage of 750 kV.

• Earlier, Ukrenergo also spoke about three levels of protection of energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.