Ukraine in 2026 was better prepared to protect energy facilities than in previous years. At the same time, Russia is changing its attack tactics and using new weapons. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said this during Question Time to the Government.
Among the new threats, the minister named drones carrying shaped-charge warheads. These unmanned aircraft can damage power pylons and cut power lines.
According to Shmyhal, preparations took into account the experience of previous strikes. This made it possible to protect as many of the resources needed to generate and transmit electricity as possible.
“Major facilities that are difficult to restore are protected today. We don’t spend much time on this. It should be noted that repairs now take little time, but there are so many of them that, of course, our cities feel the impact — especially Kyiv, which is under particular scrutiny and attack by the enemy,” explained Denys Shmyhal.
During the overnight attack on energy infrastructure on October 14, Russian forces struck the following facilities:
- all three combined heat and power plants in Kyiv;
- energy facilities in Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast;
- critical infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast that supplies electricity to the capital and Ukraine’s central regions.
We previously reported:
- Russia is preparing up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and aerial bombs for strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
- Funding for energy infrastructure protection postponed until December
- So winter won’t catch us off guard again: government allocates hundreds of millions to strengthen Mykolaiv Oblast’s resilience
- Seven drone attacks in one day: Russians once again kept Mykolaiv Oblast in their sights
- Ukraine is creating a strategic reserve for the energy sector, says Shmyhal
