KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine sharply increased imports of electricity and halted exports on Sunday after a series attacks on the country’s energy system in recent days in which top energy maker DTEK lost 50% of its capacity, the energy ministry and distributor said.
“For the current day, electricity imports are forecast at 14,900 megawatt hour (Mwh). No exports are expected,” the ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine imported 3,300 Mwh a day before the attack on March 22, with exports of 2,148 Mwh.
Generating and transmission facilities were attacked by Russia on Friday, causing significant blackouts in many regions. Energy facilities in three Ukrainian regions were also attacked and on this Sunday morning.
“Losses (of Friday’s attack) have already been assessed and the DTEK group has lost 50% of its generating capacity, we can say this information officially,” the head of Yasno distribution firm Serhiy Kovalenko told a national television.
He gave no more details. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private power generating company, has not commented on this information yet.
Kovalenko said Russians attacked two parts of the energy system – generation and distribution, hitting both thermal and hydropower plants.
“The enemy hit hard at grid nodes and transformers,” he said.
The ministry said that on Sunday Russians had attempted to hit a critical energy infrastructure facility in the Lviv region.
“Equipment caught fire and the facility was de-energised. There were no casualties. The consequences are being assessed,” the ministry said.
It said that as a result power lines in the Kyiv region were damaged and 1,400 households in two settlements had lost power.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Louise Heavens)
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