Since late March, Russian missile strikes have left some of Ukraine’s major power plants in ruins. Electricians and engineers risk their lives to repair some of the worst destruction.

Kharkiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Russia has escalated its military operations against Ukraine, focusing on the country's energy facilities. Since late March, a series of missile strikes have targeted and considerably damaged major power plants across Ukraine. This aggressive action has not only destroyed crucial infrastructure but has also put the lives of electricians and engineers at risk, who are making valiant efforts to repair the extensive damages inflicted.

These professionals are working under perilous conditions to restore electricity and maintain some level of functionality amidst the chaos caused by the strikes. Their work is critical, as the targeted attacks on energy infrastructure threaten not only the immediate areas affected but also the broader stability and safety of Ukraine's civilian population. The repair efforts highlight the resilience and determination of those on the ground to keep essential services running despite the ongoing conflict.



Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

A small village in Ukraine's Donetsk region, the battlefield is only a stone's throw away. This is the workplace of Yacheslav and his colleagues. The electricians are called whenever power lines are hit along the front line. The men have long ago stopped being distracted by the sound of artillery strikes during their repair work. My family is against this job, they don't like me coming here. But we are very dedicated to our work, it's something we have to do. The frontline village has been the target of many Russian attacks, most houses and its primary school have been destroyed. Nevertheless, more than 100 people still live here, for them the technicians are heroes. They are our last link to civilization, without electricity we're completely cut off, there's no water, no gas, nothing works. Further away from the battlefield in the city of Kharkiv, electrical repair work also feels more and more like a frontline job, ever since Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This substation has recently been hit and constant air alarms make any attempt to fix the equipment almost impossible. For the fourth time today, warning announcements ask all staff members to take shelter immediately. At a safer location, we get a quick moment to speak to the engineer in charge. It's all very, very difficult. Every time we start to repair something, there's an alarm and we come back, we have to start all over again. Russia power plants are particularly attractive targets for Russian attacks. The devastation at this thermoelectric plant near Kharkiv is enormous. Six Russian cruise missiles destroyed the engine room and forced the entire facility to shut down. Just look around and you can see the extent of the damage. We're talking about kilometers of pipelines, kilometers of cables that are destroyed. This is not going to take months. This is going to take years to fix. Before its destruction, the plant supplied hundreds of thousands of people with electricity, the engineer tells us. Its loss will be almost impossible to compensate. One small hope, the West might be able to provide parts and equipment for the plant's reconstruction. We're really doing all that is humanly possible here. But if we receive some form of support, especially technical support from other countries, we would be very grateful. Meanwhile Russia continues its daily attacks on the power grid. And the people of Kharkiv and many other Ukrainian cities almost certainly have many more dark nights ahead of them.

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Ukraine Invasion