UPDATE 2 - Ukraine's biggest hydroelectric power station stops functioning following Russia's missile strike

UPDATES WITH COMMENTS BY RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, the biggest electric power station of its kind in Ukraine, stopped functioning following Russia's missile strike on Friday.

Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukrhydroenergo, a Ukrainian state-owned enterprise that manages many major hydroelectric power plants along the Dnieper and Dniester rivers, told local broadcasters that the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station has been severely damaged.

The Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, also known as the Dnipro Dam, is located in the city of Zaporizhzhia and is made up of two units, but none of them are working, Syrota said.

"We can't even get to all of the damaged areas to inspect. Today, it is difficult to figure out how long it will take to make it operational," he said.

The power cut from the damaged Dnieper Hydroelectric Station may cause an energy shortage in many Ukrainian regions.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said Russia had launched its largest attack on the country's energy system since the beginning of the year.

The minister said in a statement that power generation facilities, as well as electricity, lines, and energy distribution systems, were hit in several of Ukraine's regions.

"The goal is not just to damage, but to try again, as last year, to cause a large-scale malfunction of the country's energy system. ... There are power outages in some regions of Ukraine," he said.

Glushchenko noted that one of the power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was de-energized during the shelling.

The management of the plant confirmed the shutdown of one of the two operating high-voltage lines, noting that there was no threat to the safety of the nuclear facility.

The Ukrainian authorities reported a series of explosions across Ukraine earlier Friday morning, and the air raid alert sounded in all regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed it carried out a massive air strike on Ukraine's energy facilities, saying it was retaliation for attacks on Russia's border regions.

According to the ministry, the goal of the strike was to disable enterprises, producing and repairing military equipment and ammunition, as well as to destroy stocks of weapons delivered from NATO countries.

"From March 16 to 22, the armed forces of the Russian Federation, in response to the shelling of Russian territory, carried out a total of 49 retaliatory strikes with missiles, including Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles, and drones. Their targets included decision-making centers, airfields, production facilities, and warehouses," it said.

Ukrainian troops attempted multiple attacks on Russia's border regions over the past two weeks, which led to many casualties from both sides.