“Works are at various stages of readiness and are carried out in difficult conditions, in particular during shelling”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
According to him, the works are at various stages of readiness and are being carried out in difficult conditions, in particular during shelling.
“The agency is building an additional second level at 120 facilities. Today, the average level of completion of these works is approximately 30 to 80 percent. We must understand that these objects are approximately three-story buildings, with concrete, powerful foundations and much more. Works are carried out in 2-3 shifts. Tonight, there was a flight over such an object – already partially built: “Shakhed” simply entered the object,” said Sukhomlin.
At the same time, he admitted that despite the strengthening of protection, the situation in the energy sector may worsen.
“It could be worse than now. This is absolutely true. We understand that when we build a defense that is designed for, for example, Shaheda, if two Iskanders fly there, then no defense will withstand the blow. I do not know the degree of cynicism and decisions of the Russian military,” he said.
However, according to him, not a single transformer, on which protective structures were built, was completely destroyed during missile and drone attacks.
“Prior to that, the agency worked on 22 substations – that’s more than 40 transformers: 750th and 1330th substations. Most of the works were completed last year – there are 90% of objects with a height of 7-8 floors. At some objects there were 12-15 arrivals during the day, there were direct rocket hits. And not a single transformer, on which the agency was building protection, was destroyed,” Sukhomlin emphasized.
To clarify why protection is being built at many facilities only now, he explained:
“This does not mean that other balance holders do not protect their objects. The enterprises of the oil and gas complex, “Ukrenergo”, hydropower and UZE are also performing their work. The agency was tasked with protecting 110 and 150 kV transformers in the frontline regions – where the work is difficult and sometimes it is difficult to find a contractor. Regional administrations and local self-government bodies determined the priority substations, the priorities were confirmed by the Ministry of Energy, and only after that the agency received an order to build protection.
How many such transformers are there in the country? These are thousands and thousands of objects that cannot be protected in three months or two years. This requires large financial resources and people. Today, we change the contractor five times at many sites, because it is difficult to work under conditions of constant shelling. The conditions are not easy, so of course you can say that the work should have been done earlier. But for today, we need to roll up our sleeves and do it,” Sukhomlin concluded.
The Security Service of Ukraine qualifies Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as crimes against humanity. The SBU noted that since the beginning of this year’s heating season, it has documented 256 air attacks by the Russian Federation on energy facilities and heat supply systems of Ukraine.
According to the Security Service, the most shelling was recorded on thermal and electric generation facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv regions. Russia attacked critical infrastructure with Iskander, Kalibr, Kh-101, Kh-69, ballistic and cruise missiles, and Geran type drones.
The SBU reminds that the strikes during the period of sharp cooling led to large-scale power and heat blackouts, as well as disruption of water supply in the homes of millions of people.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has been striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Since the beginning of the fall of 2025, Russian forces have intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian energy industry.