How Ukraine fortifies its energy facilities from Russian missile and drone strikes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the National Security and Defense Council, and the government worked together to this end. Mustafa Nayem, Ukraine’s head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure (SARDI), shared his insights on the process in an exclusive interview with NV.

SARDI was tipped to head the protection efforts.

The efficiency of early protection measures was evident even before the onslaught on energy facilities.

Smaller-scale structures, such as sandbags and gabions, were already shielding Ukrzaliznytsia substations. These structures, sometimes as high as 20 meters and thick as 2 meters, reinforce other protective measures, such as oil-filled equipment at substations, proving effective against nearby explosions and debris impact.

Earlier on, debris caused the most substantial damage to energy facilities, Ukrenergo and Ukraine’s General Staff said. After implementing the early protective measures, damage to substations from debris decreased by nearly 60%.

Experts on the General Staff developed second- and third-level protective measures, which were targeted for Ukrenergo’s main distribution network. SARDI became responsible for safeguarding these critical assets for protection from drones and missiles.

Specialists and engineers in critical infrastructure protection received training abroad, and came up with a strategy to shield against different threats, including drones (second level) and missiles (third level). These shelters are still under construction at 22 Ukrenergo substations in 14 regions, coordinated by SARDI’s Reconstruction Services, Nayem said.

While he couldn't get into details, Nayem said the structures' effectiveness would be tested, with international partners helping with the assessment.

"From the beginning, we consulted with experts from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, and Israel. Some were involved in the actual testing".

He added that construction of the second level of protection is advancing rapidly. The third level, being more extensive and requiring substantial funding and preparation, represents a more long-term project.

"But with the appropriate funding, these objects can be completed next year," he said.