Ukraine has taken no measures to protect its energy system, revealing concerning details in the media.

Ukraine faces yet another wave of mass migration due to severe winter frosts and damage to the energy system resulting from attacks by the Russian Federation. Over the past nine months of 2024, the government has done little to adequately protect power plants from enemy strikes, citing a lack of funding and corruption as the main issues.

The publication The Times reports that more than 80% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has either been destroyed or damaged. When temperatures drop below freezing, Ukraine will confront "harsh and deadly winter frosts."

"The inability of Kyiv to build bunkers for substations to protect them from Russian airstrikes has left the country vulnerable as winter approaches," the publication states.

Currently, Ukraine has to rely on so-called "first" and "second" levels of protection for energy facilities, including gabions, above-ground concrete shelters, and air defense systems. Mustafa Nayyem, the former head of the critical infrastructure protection agency, who was dismissed in June, stated that Kyiv refused to allocate one and a half billion euros necessary for constructing bunkers.

"It was impossible to work. When you see that the government leadership creates artificial obstacles for you, it's pointless... When people in government see these billions, they can't even imagine that there is no interest for the people providing this money," he said.

The lack of funding goes hand in hand with corruption. Nayyem's successor, Serhiy Sukhomlyn, mentioned that some contractors expected "excessive profits," leading to a reevaluation of contracts. Additionally, some protective structures were "redesigned" to cut costs.

Contractors, for their part, claim they are forced to take loans to complete the shelters. Currently, the constructions are far from finished. Besides the lack of funds, companies are facing pressure; for instance, one of Ukraine's leading construction firms involved in contracts for protecting substations faced searches by law enforcement, which paralyzed its operations.

"If the necessary funding had been provided, we would have already completed them, I am sure. If the third level had been finished on time... there would have been significantly fewer power outages," summarized one of the company directors.

Massive Russian Attack on Energy Infrastructure on November 17

Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine in the morning of November 17. The massive missile strike lasted for 2 hours, while the drone attack continued for over 10 hours. Russia deployed 120 missiles and 90 drones, with air defense forces managing to shoot down over 140 targets, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In Kyiv, the following areas were affected: Pecherskyi, Holosiivskyi, Desnianskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts. There is damage to buildings, and a strike occurred near "Silpo." There are injured individuals who received medical assistance. Emergency power outages are in effect in the capital and surrounding areas.

In Rivne region, the strike hit the regional center. Locals have been warned about power and water outages. In Poltava region, explosions were also reported. Emergency outages are being implemented in the region.

In Volyn region, impacts occurred, damaging energy infrastructure. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties or injuries. In Vinnytsia region, there are impacts on critical infrastructure facilities.

Explosions were also heard in Odesa region. Emergency power outages have been introduced here. There were also loud explosions in Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk (where emergency outages are in effect), Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions (where emergency outages are in effect), and Zakarpattia. Russia primarily targeted energy infrastructure.