Mayor: Russia destroys 'almost all' energy infrastructure in Kharkiv

Cars are moving along a dark street in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 24, 2024, as the city is experiencing power outages following a Russian missile and drone attack on Kharkiv's power system. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Russian attacks destroyed "almost all" of critical energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in an interview with Liga.net media outlet published on April 1.

Kharkiv has been at the forefront of Russian attacks since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion and saw an escalation in strikes in recent weeks.

The attacks destroyed a thermal power plant and all the electrical substations in Ukraine'ssecond-biggest city, Terekhov said earlier.

When asked about the reasons for the intensified strikes, the mayor answered he did not know what Russia's plan was.

"The private (energy infrastructure) is also destroyed. Russia wants to intimidate us, but this is impossible," Terekhov said.

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The current situation for the energy industry in the city is "very difficult," according to the mayor. The humanitarian assistance centers, also known as "Points of Invincibility," work in Kharkiv around the clock.

"We have been through more rough times, and we will survive these times too," Terekhov said.

On March 29, the state-owned energy company Centrenergo reported that Russian troops had destroyed the Zmiiv thermal power plant in Kharkiv Oblast during a recent large-scale attack.

Other recent attacks in Kharkiv include a March 30 attack, in which a glided projectile injured one person, and an attack on March 27, in which a glide munition killed a civilian and injured at least 19 others, including four children.

Read also: Russia intensifies attacks on Kharkiv, draining Ukraine’s air defense and civilian morale