Russian Strikes Force Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants to Cut Output

(MENAFN) Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said on Saturday that a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on energy infrastructure in eight regions has forced all nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Kyiv-controlled areas to sharply reduce their output.

“As a result of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear power units, all NPPs in the controlled territory were forced to be unloaded,” Ukrenergo said in a statement. The damage caused a significant power deficit in the national grid, prompting emergency blackouts and longer durations for scheduled hourly outages.

Repair work has begun in areas where security conditions allow, prioritizing the restoration of electricity to critical infrastructure. Ukrenergo urged citizens to minimize use of energy-intensive appliances once power is restored to prevent overloading the weakened system.

Earlier, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said that substations and 750 kV and 330 kV overhead lines—the backbone of Ukraine’s power network—were targeted. The strikes also affected the Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine, with staff having to unload the capacity of power plant units. He added that Ukrenergo has requested emergency assistance from neighboring Poland.

Private energy company DTEK also reported attacks on its thermal power stations across multiple regions, causing “significant” damage. Russian authorities have not commented on the strikes.

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