Ukraine's energy infrastructure suffered less damage from the last Russian mass attack due to the protection systems implemented on power distribution substations, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 27 at the Ukraine 2024 Independence forum in Kyiv.
On Aug. 26, Russia launched the largest attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine's Air Force reported. The strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including a dam in Kyiv that is part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant.
"Yesterday, Russia attacked our power distribution substations with missiles for the first time. The facilities were targeted by tens of cluster missiles, but we lost a relatively small amount of equipment during that attack. All due to the (heightened) protection of the facilities," said Shmyhal.
The PM added that before the attack on Aug. 26, the energy distribution facilities were mostly hit with drones, as Russia likely decided it was not economically feasible to use missiles.
"During the first year of the full-scale aggression, we developed a three-level plan to fortify energy infrastructure, mostly electricity distribution substations, since they were targeted the most," Shmyhal said.
"Level one entailed covering substations with stone barriers, containers, and other means to prevent the damage from indirect hits."
"Level two is iron and concrete shelters for transformers and other power distribution facilities, which are supposed to protect them from drone attacks.”
"As of today, most of these facilities have already been built," noted Shmyhal.
Regarding the level three protection of the facilities, Shmyhal said that the government has developed experimental plans for large shelters to shield the substations from attacks.
Due to the extremely high costs of the third phase, Ukraine has not started implementing it.
Dinara Khalilova
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