Russian attacks put over half of Ukraine's energy facilities out of commission - media

The Financial Times reported the information.

A Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Russian attack on Saturday, June 1, was devastating.

Before Russia's large-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine's domestic energy production amounted to 55 GW, the highest in Europe. At the same time, the capacity after the full-scale war, according to Ukrainian officials, fell below 20 GW due to Russian attacks and the occupation of stations.

Another official noted that Ukraine lost 1.2 GW of electricity due to Russian bombing on Suturday alone. At the same time, the infrastructure needed to transport gas from underground storage facilities in western Ukraine was severely damaged.

"We have to prepare for living in cold and darkness," the source said in response to what such destruction is expected to mean for Ukraine in the coming months.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, told the FT that the goal of the Russian attacks is to make life unbearable for Ukrainians. He also spoke about plans to create a decentralized energy system. It will be based on a larger number of mini-power plants that are less vulnerable to enemy attacks.

"If no measures are taken, according to our modeling, the population will probably have only two to four hours of electricity (per day - ed.) in January," said Borys Dodonov, head of the Energy and Climate Research Department at the Kyiv School of Economics.

He also believes that the Ukrainian authorities will have to take the unpopular decision to raise tariffs in addition to increasing electricity imports from the European Union from 1.7 GW to 2.4 GW and commissioning more gas-fired power plants.

• On May 31, the Ukrainian government raised the electricity price to UAH 4.32 per kWh. 
• On June 3, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk explained that the new tariff for households of UAH 4.32 per kWh covers only the cost of electricity production and transmission to household consumers in Ukraine.