Ukraine Has Lost More Than Half of Its Energy Production Capacity

Ukraine has lost more than half of the energy it produced before the conflict began, with the current level of generated capacity dropping to below 20 GW (gigawatts), according to the Financial Times. The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported strikes on energy facilities linked to the military-industrial complex.

After missile attacks and shutdowns of power stations, the capacity of energy production facilities in Ukraine has fallen below 20 GW, with officials reporting that prior to the military operations, this figure was approximately 55 GW, making it the largest in Europe.

On June 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported a coordinated strike on Ukrainian energy facilities tied to enterprises in the military-industrial complex. The ministry stated that these operations were a response to attempts to damage “Russian energy and transport facilities.”

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko indicated that energy facilities in Zaporizhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were attacked. Blackouts have occurred across the country.

One Ukrainian official told the FT that the consequences of the coordinated strikes on energy facilities are “devastating,” while another predicted that power outages would occur for most of the day during the winter. According to the source, Ukraine has lost 1.2 GW of generating capacity as a result of the latest missile attack, and vital infrastructure for transporting gas from underground reserves has been severely damaged. “We must prepare to live in the cold and darkness,” the official stated.

In Kyiv, EU representative Katarina Maternova informed the publication that since March, Ukraine has lost 9.2 GW of production energy. Among the damaged or destroyed facilities are DniproHES, the Tripoli TPP in the Kyiv region, the Burshtyn TPP in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the Ladyzhyn TPP in the Vinnytsia region, the Zmiiv TPP in the Kharkiv region, along with TPPs in Kharkiv and Sumy.

On May 13, Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko stated that the country has lost up to 8 GW of energy out of 18 GW produced during the winter season. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, about $1 billion will be required for the restoration of energy facilities. Yuri Boyko, a member of the supervisory board of Ukrenergo, has ruled out the resumption of operations at these facilities before winter.