Rebuilding destroyed Trypilska TPP "futile endeavor" without improved air defenses, says operator

Destroyed by the Russian attack, the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant can be restored, and specialists already have proposals for the provision of equipment from European countries. At the same time, in view of the constant danger of Russian attacks, the restoration of the TPP without the transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine is a "futile endeavor", said Andriy Hota, the chairman of the supervisory board of PJSC Centerergo, in an interview with the Voice of America.

According to him, air defenses managed to shoot down some of the Russian supersonic ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the TPP, but some of them still reached the target and destroyed the plant due to the lack of missiles for Ukrainian air defense systems.

Because of this, it is first of all important to ensure the stability of the Ukrainian energy system.

The official explained that, of course, "we can restore everything" and the company has a team that is very motivated to restore, but emphasized the futility of this without adequate protection.

"Of course, it is almost impossible to do [restore] without international partners, so we already have certain promises to provide us with transformers, turbines, other equipment from European countries, but again, without a sufficient number of missiles for air defense, this is, to put it mildly, a futile endeavor," he said.

Hota said that currently, due to the favorable weather, electricity consumers will not yet experience significant power outages, but blackouts may begin closer to summer.

It is "difficult even to imagine" what the situation will be in winter, which will be the most difficult period, the official added.

He also recalled the similar destruction of another power plant in Kharkiv Oblast on March 22 by Russian ballistic missiles: "The lack of air defense in all regions played a decisive role."

On April 11, a large-scale fire occurred in the turbine shop of the Trypilska TPP as a result of an attack by the Russian Federation. Currently, PJSC Centrenergo has lost 100% of generation. Trypilska TPP was the largest supplier of electricity in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr oblasts.