"The Washington Post": A power plant that produces hope

One immense Ukrainian power plant suffered so many Russian attacks that workers yet stopped exchanging its windows.

Almost a year after the last Russian attack The windows of the building are inactive broken and covered with plywood. In the hall, the digital display, on which production results erstwhile appeared, darkens electricity.

Energy infrastructure – specified as this power plant – is the point 30 days partial ceasefireThat they agreed to Russia and Ukraine au United States. However, the agreement is so weak that erstwhile the Washington Post visited the power station last month, we agreed not to uncover its location – in case the situation changed.

When the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski for the first time he proposed complete ceasefire at sea and in the air – for what Russia did not agree – in part this was intended to start national repairs Energy networks, including the facility managed by Dtek, the largest private energy maker in the country.

Energy infrastructure of Ukraine has long been targeted Russiawhich has led to many years power outageswhich even touched the light signal in Kiev.

Ukrainian energy sector targeting Russia

With the coming of spring, the Ukrainian energy network is becoming a little and little tempting mark – although in exchange for ending attacks on it Ukraine committed to halt drone attacks au Russian oil and gas infrastructure. However, last week the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Doskov He warned that the strikes would proceed if the government in Kiev did not comply with the decision.

Russia Almost all day she accused Ukraine infringement ceasefires, repeatedly indicating the impact at the gas station in Chicken circuit and the electricity distributor plant in the close Belarus circuit.

Ukraine replied that late Russians They hit the objects belonging to Naphth gas, i.e. the largest Ukrainian oil and gas company. Furthermore, to a large extent, the agreement seems to be in force, although only a fewer weeks are left.

On the another hand, at a violent rate, Russian attacks au Ukrainian cities. In fresh weeks, dozens of people have died, including children.

Ukraine. Power plant workers like soldiers on the front

Yet, despite the expanding tensions of 1 spring day, any workers Ukrainian power plant They were in perfect spirits. For a celebrated individual came to meet them: a boxer Alexander Usik. Working with DTEK, an athlete visited the plant to celebrate their regular conflict to guarantee To Ukrainians the supply of light.

During the Russian raids, employees of the plant, performing the essential work, presume helmets Severe bulletproof vestsAnd then they crouch, hoping that a sandbag wall will withstand falling shrapnel. At the same time, the remainder of their colleagues run to the close shelter. Since the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine 76 DTEK staff were injured, and 5 died.

In 2022 it fell here seven rockets. Repairs proved possible thanks to the spare machinery, but last year another 10 rounds It broke through the morning silence, hitting the plant building just before dawn. Then began what the spokesperson DOTE called the next cycle of “destruction, renewal, demolition and renewal”.

The Russians are destroying Ukrainian power plants. Workers can't keep up with rebuilding

At any stage, the spare machinery is no longer able to replace what has been destroyed. This in turn causes necessity import expensive and large parts from another places in Europe. At the same time, human life is at stake – the anticipation of cooking, heating houses at minus temperatures, attending school or working; the word: functioning.

We're talking to Alexander, manager boiler area department, who, like another employees, spoke only under name to avoid being identified by the Russians. As he described, immense amounts of labour helped repair the plant, only to see how “it was shot again and now we are renewing it”.

The 43-year-old is present the company 'veteran'. He recalls that he utilized to be afraid, “but then we got utilized to it.” Suddenly, he stopped and wondered: “Well, you can’t get utilized to it. But that's my profession... Even erstwhile they were flying rockets, the operational staff had to stay in place.’

Russia's attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. fresh Data

In 3 years of war Russia attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure 1300 times utilizing rockets and 1000 times utilizing drones, which caused the demolition or harm of 90 percent of DTEK's thermal power and 45 percent of hydroelectric power – according to data Ukrenergo, a state electricity distributor in Ukraine.

In the September report UN Mission to monitor respect for human rights in Ukraine stated that ‘there are reasonable grounds for believing that many aspects of the military run aimed at the demolition or demolition of Ukrainian civilian electricity and heat and transmission infrastructure have breached the basic principles International humanitarian law‘.

During the war, Ukrainian workers rebuilt more than 50 times heat plantsLike this one. Oleksandr and his wife, who besides works at the plant, long long long long long want lasting ceasefires"especially due to the fact that we have been working on repairs". “And especially due to the fact that our work is being destroyed,” they stress.

Christmas at the Ukrainian power plant. The celebrated Usik has arrived

Meanwhile, just around the corner, among the rubble – posing for photos with leather training bag and yellow, fluffy boxing gloves – became celebrated Usik. The man who was told by the boiler area manager that “like our mayor, he became a spokesperson for DTEK”.

The measurement of how badly it is destroyed Energy infrastructure of Ukraine, is the fact that a individual as celebrated as Usik visits this windy region to draw the world's attention to the scale of destruction.

We're talking 3.3 million followers on Instagram. I'm besides talking about heavyweight master belts, a trademark of the 4 most crucial planet titles, so valuable that Zelenski took him to Washington as a gift to the president of the United States Donald TrumpOnly to leave him there, unattached, after an argument at the Oval Office.

– possibly he's inactive there," he said Zelenski last period in a conversation with "Time". Come on. White House did not answer questions about the belt, according to the editorial board is now in a private dining area Trump.

So if – burdened with bilateral accusations – a test ceasefires She wasn't able to make these workers feel better, she could have made a visit. Ussika.

Surrealist Scenery and Confession of a Fighter

It was besides Usik's first visit to heat plantsAnd what he saw reminded him of the plan of an apocalyptic film. Screwed metallic elements, broken machines, empty window frames – he described. He later stated on social media that the gathering with the employees of the plant "deeply touched him" and called for global support and protection Ukrainian energy.

Boxer he followed the guide to the main control room, where he was expected by the helmet-dressed workers. In the corner of the room, next to the pile sandbags, black and white a cat named Murka He was eating food on a part of paper.

Workers gathered around Ussika, handing him photos, baseball caps, posters, and even working helmets to sign. The boxer vanished in a crowd of grey uniforms and drawn pens. The full scene was watched by a 51-year-old shift manager, Serhij. With laughter he admitted that his 17-year-old boy had left school that day to have a chance to meet Ussika In the parking lot.

His telephone buzzed. He answered and said to the boy: “Wait there, wait. He will come out.”

Finally Usik turned towards the surrounding cameras and microphones. As he told reporters, he is grateful that there is inactive light in his home and that workers besides fight – only in a completely different trench. He was touched.

– I am impressed that people inactive work here despite the attacks," he said.

When asked about master belt – and whether Trump He deserved it – he stopped and then said, “It’s not important. If this had led to peace in our country, I would have been ready to quit all my belts."

Text translated from The Washington Post. Written by Lizzie Johnson, Anastacia Galoucheka

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

Titles and midtitles and abbreviations come from the editorial board.

Stay up to date and become 1 of 200,000 followers of our fanpage – like Interia Events on Facebook comment on our articles there!