Russian air assault ignites fire at Kiev's hydropower facility
Following Ukraine's Independence Day celebrations, Ukraine encounters another significant Russian aerial assault, with the Kiew hydroelectric power plant becoming one of the targets. As stated by officials, the dam of the facility continues to function.
Ukrainian newspapers report that the hydroelectric power plant situated at the Kieve Reservoir has suffered damage due to a Russian aerial attack. The Ukrainian news agency Unian in Kyiv reported the strike after a clip of the wreckage appeared on Russian Telegram channels.
According to the story, a fire broke out in the turbine room of the hydroelectric power plant, and the road on the dam sustained damage. "It's futile to conceal this," the news agency penned down. The military administration of the Kyiv region acknowledged damage to two unspecified energy infrastructure facilities following the aerial strike. According to German military expert Nico Lange, at least one cruise missile struck the plant, while another one crashed into the water.
Ukrainian authorities sought to reassure concerns regarding the potential destruction of the dam. "There is no menace to the dam of the Kiev hydroelectric power plant. It cannot be demolished by rockets," wrote Andriy Kowalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, on Telegram. The situation does not resemble the demolition of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine in 2023, which was detonated from within. The resulting flood wave led to numerous casualties and significant damage.
The reservoir of the Dnipro, located to the north of the Ukrainian capital, commonly known as the Kyiv Sea, covers about 920 square kilometers and holds approximately 3.7 billion cubic meters of water. In earlier attacks this year, the power plant facilities of the Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia dams were harmed.
In the latest wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine, over 100 missiles of various types and around 100 Shahed drones of Iranian origin were employed, as per President Volodymyr Zelensky. Preliminary government reports indicated 5 fatalities and 17 injuries in various parts of the nation. The bombing occurred as individuals were returning to their workplaces following the weekend's Independence Day celebrations.
Zelensky described the attack, as in most previous Russian attacks, as a "cowardly" one that aimed at critical civilian infrastructure. Most Ukrainian regions were impacted - from the Kharkiv region to Kyiv, Odessa, and areas in the west. The nation's power grid suffered significant damage. As a precaution, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the state energy operator Ukrenergo turned off the power to stabilize the system.
The military administration in Kyiv acknowledged damage to two unspecified energy infrastructure facilities after the aerial strike, implying that the military is involved in maintaining these facilities. Despite the attack, Ukrainian authorities reassured the public that the dam of the Kiev hydroelectric power plant cannot be demolished by rockets.
