"Full Protection of all objects - naive thought": how Russia wages war against Ukrainian TPPs

On the night of October 15, one of the company, which is a key element of the power system, was under fire. Earlier, during the week, the enemy fired at gas companies in Kharkiv region, as well as conducted sighting strikes on strategically important objects of Sumy and Chernihiv regions. These attacks aimed to paralyze civilian infrastructure. According to Sergey Koretsky, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, none of the damaged objects.

These are conscious acts of terror from Russian terrorists aimed at leaving Ukrainians without gas, heating and light in winter, causing chaos and suffering. Prior to that, Russian troops were attacking Naftogaz gas facilities on the night of October 3. The Russian Federation launched 35 rockets and 60 drones on gas fields of Kharkiv and Poltava regions. Some of the threats were confused, but a significant number of objects are damaged, some of the destruction is critical.

The liquidation of the consequences is ongoing, the company cooperates with partners for prompt recovery. DTEK confirmed the attack that several gas facilities in Poltava region were stopped. The wreckage of the Russian rocket also damaged a private home in the Poltava community.

The Executive Director of the Association "Energy Effective Cities of Ukraine" Svyatoslav Pavlyuk notes that due to the attacks of the Russian Federation on energy objects at the level of consumers, a general total energy deficit is noticeable. According to Pavlyuk, Russia has increased production of drones and rockets in recent years, increasing the volume of attacks.

Considering the enhanced protection of Ukrainian energy objects "Ukrenergo", in his opinion, the enemy moved to bombardment of distribution networks of the regional level, Ukrzaliznytsia and others. "The scale of the attacks of Russian drones and rockets has grown compared to previous years. The Russian tactics of attacks on energy objects evolve.

Now Russian drones attack substations vertically from above with different types of ammunition, among which there are clusters, which complicates the recovery. Given the continuation of the war, such attacks from Russia will continue, and therefore interruptions are inevitable, " - says focus the expert. According to Pavlyuk, the quality of energy supply depends on the quantity and duration of shutdowns.

The number of shutdowns is determined by the air defense capabilities, the duration of shutdowns is determined by the speed of energy recovery. Currently, Ukrainian air defense is suffering from missile markets, and experts are being restored for the fourth winter system, based on equipment reserves, assistance to the energy community and partners, including Japan and Azerbaijan. The expert also adds that the attacks have recently spread to gas infrastructure.

The distributed generation on gas -piston machines depends on the gas supply, which is lacking due to insufficient stocks and shocks on transportation facilities. This threatens problems in cities and heat utilities. This winter will be the first when more than half of the gas is imported at a price of up to $ 500 per thousand cubic meters, plus transportation and VAT. The difference between the subsidized price and the market will be the burden on the budget.

According to Pavlyuk, the protection of the large objects of "Ukrenergo", which is about a hundred, trying to provide with the help of concrete blocks, sandbeans, picbegs and concrete shelters for transformers. "Such measures are effective against fragments or explosions nearby, reducing the harm of the key elements of the substation. However, they do not withstand the direct hit of a rocket, especially ballistic.

For example, in Zaporozhye several missiles hit one point, breaking even deep bunkers. Full protection of all objects is impossible. " In addition to passive protection, the expert advises to increase the number of air defense, in particular through the involvement of Western partners. Pavlyuk also recommends introducing economic incentives for biomass gas producers. In particular, the government could compare the rights of heat suppliers on gas and local biomass.

Gas is subsidized for the population at a fixed low price, much lower than the market value of solid fuel. Biomass electricity deficits are exported instead of use in local boiler rooms that are unprofitable. Artificially cheaper gas destroys the economy of local fuel. "The transition from gas subsidizing to final heat gigacalory is required. Then manufacturers on biomass will avoid the risks of waste due to the mismatch of tariffs and fuel prices.

If compensation for the difference in tariffs will reach only gas heat suppliers, there is a non -competitiveness. Gas imports, "the expert notes. We will remind, on October 13 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky warned about problems with electricity due to the strikes of the Russians. He said that for one or two Russian shelling, Ukraine may need import of electricity. After a combined blow, on the night of October 10, Ukraine began to introduce light switching graphs.