Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying thermal power plant in country's east

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of effectively destroying the Zmiivska Thermal Power Plant located in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Centrenergo, a company managing the plant, said on its website that the plant was critically damaged during attacks on March 22.

"On March 22, the Russian army destroyed one of the largest thermal power plants in the Kharkiv region. All blocks have been destroyed, and auxiliary equipment has been damaged. The degree of destruction varies from complete to significant," it said.

Work is underway to clear the rubble blocking access to most of the equipment, which has also made precise assessments of the scale of damage and prospects for restoration impossible, it added.

The statement cited Ukraine's Energy Minister Roman Galushchenko as promising donors' assistance in coping with the damage from the strike.

On March 22, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had carried out a massive retaliatory strike with high-precision weapons and drones against Ukrainian energy facilities and the military-industrial complex in response to attacks on Russia's border regions.

The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than two years.