Lauge Risom Koch 
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi warned that Russia is actively targeting the water and energy infrastructure of Kyiv ahead of winter.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi warned that Russia has made the water supply of Kyiv an active focus of its attacks. According to the Kyiv Post, the official urged residents to prepare for difficult conditions during the upcoming winter. Koretskyi stated during a recent interview that the government is actively anticipating severe utility disruptions.
Authorities are currently preparing backup power systems for vulnerable municipal water facilities. The government is also establishing reserve pumping stations and developing alternative methods to deliver water. These emergency measures aim to keep services operating but cannot guarantee normal conditions if attacks intensify.
The municipal water system relies heavily on electricity to successfully pump and distribute resources across the capital. This dependency makes the entire network vulnerable when military strikes disrupt regional power supplies. Kyiv residents have already experienced significant water service interruptions during recent bombardments of energy infrastructure.
Energy grid damage and intelligence reports
These utility warnings coincide with a renewed Russian military campaign targeting the national energy infrastructure. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that intelligence services obtained Kremlin documents detailing planned attacks on civilian utilities. The recovered documents reportedly included specific calculations regarding the weapons required to hit various facilities.
The intelligence reports indicated planned strikes on electricity generation, heating, water supply, and sewage systems. Russian forces previously targeted all 3 of the municipal combined heat and power plants during an overnight attack on October 13. These coordinated strikes successfully damaged critical infrastructure in the capital and its surrounding regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that ongoing attacks damaged more than 10 energy facilities overnight. The Ukrainian leader confirmed that these bombardments left at least 550,000 households without access to electricity. Koretskyi noted that this changing military tactic focuses heavily on destroying systems that support daily civilian life.
Electricity generation deficit
The recent damage adds significant pressure to the already strained energy system of the capital. An investigation revealed that the 3 main combined heat and power plants stopped generating electricity. These critical facilities include the CHP-5, CHP-6, and Darnytsia power plants located within the city.
Before sustaining this structural damage, the combined output of these 3 plants reached approximately 1.3 gigawatts. The sudden loss of this massive generation capacity severely impacts the local electrical grid. Consequently, the capital now faces an increased dependence on electricity delivered from other parts of the country.
Government officials stress that ongoing preparations remain essential as the upcoming winter could bring harsher conditions. Utility companies continue implementing backup solutions to maintain essential services despite the disrupted power supplies. The administration remains focused on establishing resilient supply routes to mitigate the impact of future strikes.
