Drones hit thermal power plant in Zuhres, leaving parts of occupied Donetsk region without electricity. VIDEO
On the night of 18 November in Zuhres, the Zuiivska thermal power plant (TPP) came under attack. On the night of 18 November in Zuhres, strike drones hit the transformer of the second boiler, which has been put out of service.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Exilenova+ and local Telegram channels.
According to local residents, after the explosions, there were power supply problems in Donetsk and Makiivka, and Ilovaisk was reportedly left completely without electricity.
"The transformer was hit; according to our information, it has been put out of service," the Exilenova+ project reported.
The occupiers confirmed the strike
Denis Pushilin, the leader of the "DPR", stated that the Zuiivska and Starobesheve TPPs had been attacked.
"As a result of an unprecedented attack on the Republic’s energy system, the Zuiivska and Starobesheve TPPs were damaged. Many settlements have been left without power, causing boiler houses and filtration stations to stop operating," he wrote.
What is known about the TPPs
Zuiivska and Starobesheve TPPs are two large thermal power plants in eastern Ukraine which have been under the control of Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk region since 2014.
Zuiivska TPP is located in the city of Zuhres. Before the occupation, it was part of DTEK Energo. It is coal-fired. After 2014, it operated intermittently due to fuel shortages, equipment wear and dependence on Russian supplies. The plant has repeatedly shut down, and in recent years, information about its operation has been limited to reports by the occupation authorities.
Starobesheve TPP is located in the urban-type settlement of Starobesheve. Before the war, it was also one of DTEK’s largest TPPs in the region. Since its capture, it has been used by Russian administrations to supply electricity to the occupied part of Donetsk region. The plant’s capacity has been significantly reduced, the equipment is worn out, and dependence on Russian coal and technical support is critical.
Both TPPs are de facto integrated into an energy system controlled by Russia and its proxy structures. They operate at limited capacity, face shortages of personnel and spare parts, and suffer periodic emergency shutdowns. Data on their actual technical condition are concealed, but according to Ukrainian energy specialists, the facilities have significantly degraded over the years of occupation.
