Russian shelling on Thursday seriously damaged a thermal power plant in Ukraine's front-line region, adding to the deficit in electricity generation registered previously due to cold weather, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said.
"As a result of the shelling, equipment was seriously damaged. Two power units stopped working," the ministry said on Facebook. The name of the power plant and the region where it is located was not given.
Officials called on citizens and enterprises to reduce electricity consumption in the face of continued Russian attacks almost two years into Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Ukrenergo (Ukraine's power grid operator) is being forced to attract emergency assistance from Europe. This is an emergency measure, and it is not always guaranteed," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukrenergo said that freezing weather had pushed power usage 2.7% above forecast levels.
It added that the deficit was currently being offset by imports from Poland, Slovakia and Romania, with 700 MW of power to flow into Ukraine from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time (0900 to 1700 GMT) on Thursday.
Kyiv fears Moscow will renew massive air attacks on energy infrastructure during the heating season. Last winter, Russia pounded the Ukrainian electricity system with hundreds of missiles and drones, causing serious damage to it.
