Ukraine’s energy company is prepared for another winter and Russian air strikes

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy enterprise, is prepared for another winter and Russian air strikes. Still, its power facilities require more missile defense systems to run correctly, according to Chief Executive Officer Maksym Tymchenko.

Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, European partners have donated hundreds of transformers, miles of cable, and thousands of diesel generators required to light and heat the country during winter when temperatures drop below freezing.

Ukraine needed this to ensure heating and electricity for people during the winter after Russian terror troops damaged much of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian power engineers have put 19 out of 19 power units of thermal power plants back into operation after scheduled repairs. The press service of DTEK reported this.

“We are 100% ready for winter. We have succeeded,” the DTEK company emphasized.

They added that the specialists had completed 19 out of 19 scheduled repairs of power units in preparation for the heating season.

“We are proud of our colleagues. It is impossible to describe in words how hard they had to work to complete the scheduled repairs on time after the most difficult winter of 22/23 in history,” DTEK added.

However, the last year’s bitter experience with Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure has spurred Ukraine to seek additional air defense systems to protect its essential infrastructure.

“We need more Patriots and IRIS systems. We cannot defend ourselves against ballistic missiles unless we have air defense systems,” DTEK’s Chief Executive Officer Maksym Tymchenko told Reuters in an interview.

DTEK’s power plants produced enough electricity in the first ten months of this year to cover the needs of around 4.1 million households.

Russia has targeted all of DTEK’s 13 power plants, launching prolonged strikes on the country’s electrical grid. Russia has struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure 60 times in recent weeks, using various weaponry.

About 50% of the company’s capacity of 2.3 gigawatts has been damaged, destroyed, or occupied, causing blackouts, Timchenko said.

For its part, the Ukrenergo company said that the electricity generated by Ukrainian power plants is sufficient to meet the needs of all residential and legal consumers. It also emphasized that it sees no reason to limit the power system if there is no new shelling. No consumption limits were introduced.

“The shelling caused damage to the networks of regional power distribution companies in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Emergency repair works are carried out depending on the security situation and with the military’s permission,” the company said.

Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect its sky from Russian air attacks

In November, air raid alarms and explosions were reported in almost all the regions of Ukraine daily as Russia launched new drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.

In autumn 2022, Russia launched the largest missile barrage to target Ukraine’s power grid since early spring, leaving parts of five regions, including the one around the capital, without electricity.

In October, Germany supplied Ukraine with a second Patriot air-defence system and additional Gepards, while Spane sent six additional Hawk air-defence systems to help shield the critical energy infrastructure of Ukraine.

Modern and powerful Western air defence systems help Ukraine shoot down more Russian missiles and war drones. But if ammunition runs out, Russian warplanes and cruise missiles could pose a major threat to Ukraine’s energy sector again.

Read also: Why Ukraine needs more air defense systems – Air Force spokesman explains