Russia now targets individual Ukrainian energy facilities with up to 25 drones

The number of drones the Russians launch at a single energy facility has increased from three to four at the beginning of the full-scale war to up to 25 per attack now, according to Zaichenko. The enemy conducts complex attacks, attempting to destroy both electricity generation and transmission simultaneously.

"Losses for Ukrenergo alone have already approached UAH 90 billion [approximately $2.25 billion]. The number of strikes is growing, especially this year — by 36% compared to the first half of last year," Zaichenko said.

He added that Ukraine has lost about 50% of its electricity production capacity, with maneuverable generation suffering the most.

"In January-April 2026, forced power supply restrictions reduced actual electricity consumption by approximately 6.5 billion kWh. This is equivalent to about 1,135 days of average consumption for a city like Kyiv. This reduction lowers Ukrenergo's revenues," Zaichenko explained.

He emphasized that this revenue shortfall is the reason for reviewing the transmission and dispatch tariff. According to Ukrenergo's calculations, the volume of lost revenue since the beginning of 2026 has reached UAH 4 billion ($100 million).

Furthermore, the energy system faces challenges such as growing electricity consumption in certain oblasts, the need to integrate renewable energy sources, and the necessity to ensure operational stability amid ongoing Russian attacks. Zaichenko stressed that this is why developing new generation is not just an economic issue for Ukraine, but a matter of national energy security.

Ukrenergo board chair also detailed the scale of blackouts caused by the Russian bombardment. In January of this year, an average of 6.1 million metering points were simultaneously without power due to massive attacks. This number was 6.5 million in February and 3.8 million in March.

"The actual number of people left without electricity was higher," Zaichenko noted.

According to him, the highest number of simultaneously consumers left without electricity was recorded on Feb. 8 — over 12 million.