Russian forces have launched over 20 missiles at the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) since the beginning of this year, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television on April 23.
Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant was hit with eight Russian missiles on March 22 during one of the biggest attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, which reportedly led to the loss of a third of its capacity.
The Hydroelectric Power Station-2 (HPS-2), one of the two stations of Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro HPP, was in "critical condition" following the attack, said Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo. The dam itself suffered damage as well, but officials said that there was no risk of a breach.
"We are not talking about the resumption of power generation at the moment, but only about the logistics at the dam. We promptly launched one lane of traffic in both directions," Fedorov said.
The timing for the plant's restoration is unclear, as debris removal and dismantling are still reportedly ongoing.
"The destruction is extremely extensive," the governor said.
Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo is signing agreements with contractors who will design and implement the restoration of the plant, while Ukrhydroenergo attracts international financing for its reconstruction, according to Fedorov.
Following the attack on Dnipro HPP, Russian troops targeted the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast and the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast in late March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. No damages were reported.
Zelensky said that Moscow "wanted to repeat" the Kherson Oblast disaster, referring to the Kakhovka Dam destruction in June 2023.
Ukraine's air defenses have been particularly strained in recent months amid the onslaught of Russian missile and drone attacks and the delay in aid from the U.S. Meanwhile, Russia has stepped up targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, overwhelming local air defenses and destroying some of Ukraine's largest thermal power plants.
Olga Aivazovska
