Link - https://civilmedia.mk/ruskite-zlostorstva-prodolzhuvaat-teror-so-stud-i-temnina/

   More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion began (1330 days), Ukraine’s energy system remains at the heart of the battlefield. Power plants, substations, gas pipelines, and heat generation facilities have become primary targets in a war that aims not only to claim territory but to plunge communities into darkness and cold.

   From the first days of the war, energy infrastructure has been hit systematically. Hundreds of strikes have devastated energy infrastructure, with the occupiers seizing and destroying critical facilities amounting to 18 GW of generation capacity. In 2024 alone, Russian strikes damaged or destroyed 10 GW of generation capacity. Thanks to the Energy Support Fund and international partners, around 5 GW (50%) has been restored. However, 2025 has brought an even more intense wave of Russian attacks.

   The year 2025 has brought a new wave of escalation. Since January, Ukraine has recorded 237 large-scale attacks on its electricity infrastructure. Even after Moscow announced a so-called “ceasefire” on March 25, there was no pause: Ukrainian authorities documented 3,734 incidents. Of these, more than 3,400 targeted electricity facilities, 278 struck gas infrastructure, and 28 hit coal mines. The most severe damage has been concentrated in Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Dnipro regions, where communities live under the constant threat of blackouts and destruction.

   The situation has become especially critical as the heating season draws near. In August and September alone, we recorded 140 attacks. More than a quarter struck distribution system operators, one-third targeted Ukrenergo’s transmission network, and another 40 percent were divided between Ukrzaliznytsia’s infrastructure and heat and power generation facilities. Nearly half of all strikes focused on Ukrenergo substations with voltage levels between 330 and 750 kilovolts in Sumy and Chernihiv. On September 8, the Trypilska thermal power plant suffered massive damage after 19 drones struck the facility, cutting off critical power capacity. Less than a month later, on October 3, the Kramatorsk combined heat and power plant was also heavily hit.

   These figures do not even account for the ongoing occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant or the catastrophic destruction of the Kakhovka dam, both of which have left deep scars on Ukraine’s energy landscape.

   The gas sector has also come under intense assault. Beginning early this year, Russian forces escalated their attacks on gas production facilities. On October 3, a combined missile and drone strike targeted production sites in Kharkiv and Poltava regions, inflicting severe damage. Multiple companies, not only Naftogaz, reported significant destruction and losses. Preliminary estimates suggest that around 60 percent of gas production capacity has been lost. Compressor stations operated by the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, directly linked to production, were also badly damaged.

   Despite relentless shelling, emergency repair teams continue working around the clock to restore damaged equipment and stabilize the energy system. The growing scale and intensity of the attacks are increasing the sector’s immediate needs. The estimated total cost of the required equipment and materials for recovery stands at approximately €758 million. This includes €209 million for energy generation facilities, €97 million for electricity transmission infrastructure, and €88 million for distribution grids.

   A stable energy supply is the backbone of a functioning society. It sustains Ukraine’s hospitals and schools, keeps water and heat flowing, and powers Ukrainian industries.

   Ukraine is not fighting this battle alone. Thanks to the solidarity of our partners, we have already rebuilt part of what was lost.

   But the road ahead is long and challenging, and every contribution—whether it comes in the form of equipment, funding, or technological expertise—makes a tangible difference. Among the most urgent needs of the energy sector are active and passive protection systems, high-voltage equipment, distributed generation and backup power solutions, and energy storage technologies.

   Today the world’s support matters more than ever. Each transformer delivered, each generator donated, each technological solution shared helps shield millions of Ukrainian families from the cold and darkness that our enemy is trying to impose. Together, we can turn resilience into strength and ensure that Ukraine’s energy system, like Ukrainian people, continues to stand strong.

   Ukrainians would be grateful if Macedonians could find a way to help them survive this winter amid daily Russian shelling.