In a significant escalation of hostilities, a Russian strike on Friday disrupted one of two power lines supplying Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, as Moscow intensified its assault on the country’s energy infrastructure. A Russian missile strike targeted the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station (DniproHES) in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, hitting the dam of the hydro power plant. Tragically, the strike also impacted a passing trolleybus on the road atop the dam, resulting in fatalities among the commuters on board.
Energy Minister German Galushchenko sounded the alarm on Facebook, declaring it as the “largest attack on the Ukrainian energy industry in recent times.” The targeted shelling resulted in the loss of “one of the power transmission lines feeding” the Zaporizhzhia power plant, Galushchenko stated.
The Zaporizhzhia facility, Europe’s largest nuclear energy site, remains operational despite being seized by Russian forces in the early days of the conflict, relying on Ukrainian power lines for its operations.
However, the latest strike raises grave concerns, with Ukraine’s atomic energy operator Energoatom warning of the potential for an emergency situation. If the final power line is severed, the plant would be “on the verge of another blackout,” a scenario deemed a serious violation of safety conditions.
Energoatom highlighted the precarious situation, noting that previous blackouts since the start of the war forced reliance on emergency diesel generators and safety systems. Any failure of these systems could lead to the heightened risk of a nuclear and radiation accident, the operator cautioned.
Reports from Zaporizhzhia’s governor, Ivan Fedorov, revealed the extent of the damage inflicted by Russian attacks, with 12 missiles striking the region early Friday, resulting in the destruction of several homes and injuries to civilians.
Meanwhile, further atrocities unfolded in other regions, with Petro Andryushchenko reporting on Telegram that a Russian missile struck a trolley at the Dnipro hydroelectric station in Zaporizhzhia, claiming civilian lives.
In the western city of Khmelnytskyi, Mayor Oleksandr Symchyshyn described the aftermath of the attacks as “horrible,” with infrastructure and residential buildings sustaining damage, and casualties reported among civilians.
Energy facilities across multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, and Kryvyi Rig, were targeted by Russian missile, drone, and artillery strikes on Friday. Energy Minister Galushchenko condemned the attacks, emphasizing that the goal was not merely damage but an attempt to cause a widespread failure of the country’s energy system, akin to last year’s assault.
