Missile event in Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant area, Ukraine on Mon 26th August 2024

On the morning of August 26, Russian forces targeted the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), located near the town of Vyshhorod. Video footage shows fire and damage at the site, though the extent of the destruction remains unclear.

Energy experts across the country are currently assessing how this attack by Russian Armed Forces has impacted Ukraine’s energy system and specific facilities.

No reports have confirmed a breach of the dam. It is also unknown if there were any casualties or injuries at the Kyiv HPP. However, it has been reported that infrastructure in the Kyiv region has been damaged, and one person has been injured.

In response to the reports regarding the strike on the Kyiv HPP, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), assured the public that there is no threat of a dam breach. “It is impossible to destroy it with missiles. Comparisons with the situation in Kherson are unfounded—that was an internal detonation. The Russians are using this topic for disinformation and to incite panic, nothing more,” he explained.

As of September 2021, the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant had a capacity of 440 MW, helping to manage peak loads within Ukraine’s energy system. The Kyiv Reservoir, associated with the plant, also plays a role in regulating climatic events such as spring floods or droughts.

On the morning of August 26, Russian forces attacked 15 regions across Ukraine using various types of weaponry. The overall situation in Ukraine’s energy sector remains challenging following the missile strikes. According to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the full impact of the attacks is still being assessed.