By Tom Balmforth
(Reuters) – As Russian missiles hurtle toward the Ukrainian power plant and employees rush for the bomb shelter, a handful of workers remain above ground in a sandbag-protected control room to keep the system running manually.
The facility, whose location energy officials asked Reuters not to identify for security reasons, has been bombed with missiles this year in an aerial assault on the grid that Russia renewed this month as the third winter of the war approaches.
“When there are attacks, we stay here even though we know there are missiles coming towards us… Saying we are not afraid is not true because we are all living, normal people and we are afraid,” said Serhii, 52. , a shift leader who has worked at the plant for more than 30 years.
Outside the control center is a huge engine room that has holes in the walls and extensive damage from missile attacks, the most recent of which occurred on November 17 at this facility.
The smell of burning hung in the air during a recent Reuters visit, as water dripped from a damaged roof.
Missile pieces lay on the ground, twisted sheets of metal piled to the side, and broken pieces of equipment scattered everywhere. Workers, dressed in dirty overalls, carried out repairs and climbed over a broken power unit.
Serhii, who did not want to give his last name, and his co-workers see themselves on the front lines of a crucial battle in the 33-month war with Russia: supplying power to millions of people despite attacks.
Russia, which denies attacking civilian infrastructure but considers the Ukrainian power system a legitimate target in its war, has inflicted significant damage on energy facilities since it began a series of attacks on the grid in the spring.
The facility is one of five remaining thermal power plants owned by DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy supplier, which provided a quarter of the country’s electricity needs before Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
In addition to the location, DTEK asked Reuters not to reveal certain details about the plant, including how much electricity it currently produces, saying such information could help Russia carry out future attacks.
The facility, which normally provides electricity and heat to hundreds of thousands of people, has been undergoing major repairs for much of the year. The November attacks led to more urgent repair work.
“We’ve gone back six months,” said Oleksandr, 52, a senior worker at the plant.
‘WINTER WILL NOT BE EASY’
Russia on Thursday unleashed its second major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this month, causing deep power outages across the country.
After the two waves of attacks, the outlook for Ukraine’s energy grid has worsened at a volatile time in the war, with Russian troops advancing in the east and Donald Trump preparing to enter the White House on January 20.
Ukraine repaired some of its energy infrastructure that was damaged in the spring and summer, putting it in what looked like an unexpectedly strong position for the coming winter, industry sources said.
But now they say the damage inflicted on Nov. 17 and 28 has set them back significantly, raising the possibility of long blackouts and other disruptions in the dead of winter. Temperatures are already around 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit).
An industry source said that despite the setbacks, Ukraine would be able to meet the challenges ahead.
Workers interviewed by Reuters at the plant said they would do the best they could.
“This is our front, some of our guys have a front in the east, our front is here. Our task is to ensure that our Ukraine has electricity, that it is fully functional,” Serhii said.