Last winter's attacks on Ukraine's power grids were described as an attempt to break people's spirits and force the country into submission, but in many cases, the hardships strengthened a sense of community. Even so, many dread the prospect of a new season of prolonged blackouts.
“moscow’s signature strategy of the last cold-weather season is already being unleashed again this year, in the form of a thunderous barrage of strikes that Ukrainian officials said targeted electricity infrastructure in several parts of the country. The Sept. 21 attacks, the first of their kind in six months, caused partial blackouts in half a dozen provinces, including in the capital region. It was an ominous sign of things to come — and a reminder of hardships past”, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Waves of drone and missile strikes last winter eventually hit about half of Ukraine's energy sector, targeting power substations, massive transformers, and other critical electricity infrastructure.
“We know that this winter, they will try again to break us,” said the DTEK crew’s supervisor, 48-year-old Yuri Herasko. “To be ready for all kinds of difficult scenarios — that’s our job, and we’re working just as hard as we can.”
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