The Zmievskaya thermal power plant was utterly destroyed by a missile strike carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces on March 22, according to a statement from the Ukrainian energy operator Centerenergo.
Officials described the damage as severe across all units and auxiliary systems. The extent of destruction ranges from complete to substantial, and debris removal is ongoing. A large portion of the equipment remains inaccessible while crews work to clear rubble.
Centerenergo emphasized that there is no available timeline or capability to estimate the recovery and restoration process for the power plant, including any financial costs or schedule.
Zmievskaya TPP holds strategic importance for three eastern Ukrainian regions—Kharkiv, Sumy, and Poltava—providing a sizable share of the area’s electricity needs. The facility’s nominal capacity was 2,200 megawatts.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Kanevskaya and Dniester hydroelectric power plants had also been targeted by Russian forces.
Former Ukrhydroenergo General Manager Igor Sirota indicated that restoring the Dnieper hydroelectric system would require years.