Ukrainian hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, near a city Zaporozhye, is "in critical condition" after a Russian missile attack, local authorities reported last night, quoted by DPA and BTA.
Experts should give a safety assessment for the dam where the plant is built, the head of the regional military administration of the southern Zaporozhye region, Ivan Fyodorov, told Ukrainian state television. "At the moment, the two banks are completely separated from each other, so local residents will not be able to cross the water space," he specified.
The Dnieper HPP has been attacked several times in recent months by the Russian armed forces, DPA recalls. A fire broke out after a massive rocket attack in late March. Then it suffered serious damage and had to suspend its activities for a short time, the agency adds.
On the night of Saturday, the hydroelectric plant was hit again and traffic across the dam was temporarily stopped. Ukraine has lost over eight thousand megawatts of power from its power plants since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 as a result of the hostilities, leading to blackouts and rising electricity prices.