One of DTEK’s thermal power plants went offline following an attack by Russia—what will happen to the power supply?
18 August 22:49
On August 18, Russian occupation forces launched a massive shelling attack on one of DTEK’s thermal power plants. As a result of the attack, the plant ceased electricity generation, and its equipment sustained significant damage.
The DTEK Group reported this on its official Telegram channel, according to [Komersant].
The company did not disclose the name, location, or capacity of the attacked thermal power plant for security reasons. It is also currently unknown exactly which equipment was damaged and when the plant will be able to resume operations.
What Is Known About the Consequences of the Attack
DTEK’s statement confirmed the following consequences
- the plant has completely ceased power generation
- the TPP’s equipment has been significantly damaged
- No timeline for restoration has been provided
- The facility’s location has not been disclosed
- No information has been released regarding fatalities or injuries resulting from this attack
DTEK traditionally does not name the power plants that have been attacked, as information about their location, the condition of the equipment, and available capacity could be used by the Russian military to launch follow-up strikes.
What does a shutdown of power generation at a thermal power plant mean?
A complete shutdown of power generation means that the plant’s power units are not generating or transmitting electricity to the unified power grid.
Energy experts refer to this state as a “drop to zero.” Before the full-scale war, a complete shutdown of a thermal power plant was an extraordinary event; however, due to constant Russian attacks, such incidents have become routine.
According to DTEK Energo, during the 2025–2026 heating season, company employees fully restored plant operations 17 times after generation had been halted. Since the start of the full-scale war, TPPs have had to be restarted from scratch at least 68 times.
Russia has attacked DTEK’s thermal power plants more than 230 times
According to the company, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have attacked DTEK’s thermal power plants more than 230 times.
Due to the strikes, the plants have repeatedly lost most of their available capacity. After each attack, power plant workers have to clear debris, assess the condition of the equipment, search for hard-to-find parts, and restart the power units.
During a previous attack on June 12, Oleksandr Kosolapov, an employee of the DTEK Interenergoservice repair company, was killed. He had worked in the energy sector for over 30 years and had participated in the restoration of thermal power plants following Russian attacks. DTEK Energo’s press service reported his death.
Restoring the damaged plants and grids has already cost hundreds of millions of euros.
According to DTEK’s estimates, since the start of the full-scale war, the company has allocated approximately 603 million euros for repairs to thermal power plants and power grids.
Nearly 369 million euros were spent directly on repairs and maintenance of thermal power plants. Another approximately 233 million euros were allocated to the restoration and modernization of power grids.
Throughout 2026 and in preparation for the winter of 2026–2027, the company planned to spend an additional approximately 300 million euros.
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