Moscow fails to win war against Ukraine’s energy system - British intelligence

British intelligence says Moscow failed to bring Ukraine’s unified energy system to collapse during the fall and winter, so this campaign was effectively curtailed.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on Twitter, referring to an intelligence update, Ukrinform saw.

"Russia’s campaign to severely degrade Ukraine’s unified energy system (UES) within the 2022-23 winter has highly likely failed. Russia has conducted long range strikes since October 2022, but large-scale strikes have become rare since early March 2023. Smaller scale strikes (with the fewer than 25 munitions) continue, but are likely having much less impact on the UES," the statement says.

It is noted that Ukrainian power system operators continue to look for replacement of required components, including damaged transformers. Shipping and installing this equipment is a major logistical challenge, especially when it comes to high voltage transformers weighing over 100 tonnes.

"Ukraine’s energy situation will likely improve with the arrival of warmer weather. Planning and preparations for next winter have likely already begun," the British Ministry of Defense says.

As reported, since October 11, 2022, Ukraine has ceased electricity exports amid Russia’s missile attacks on energy facilities across the country.

Since September, 12 such attacks targeted facilities operated by NEC Ukrenergo in Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions, involving 27 cruise missile and drone strikes. As a result, about 68% of high-voltage substations and 833 km of power lines were damaged.

On April 7, the Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko, signed an executive document greenlighting the process of restoring electricity exports in conditions of generating capacity surplus.