(MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION) – Ukraine has launched its first coordinated long range missile campaign against Russia’s core power network, striking major thermal power plants and exposing significant weaknesses in the country’s energy infrastructure. The operation marks a clear shift from previous drone based raids and has resulted in widespread outages across several regions.
The most serious incident occurred in the city of Voronezh, where three missiles hit the main thermal power plant. Two of the missiles struck a newly constructed boiler unit, damaging steam generators and turbines attached to LM6000 gas modules. A third missile penetrated the roof of the turbine hall. Power and heating supplies dropped within minutes in several districts, affecting more than one thousand industrial clients including the Voresh chemical plant. The damaged energy block, completed in 2019, had been regarded as one of the most advanced in the region and its loss indicates that Ukraine can now target newly built high efficiency facilities once considered resistant to drone attacks.
In the city of Orel, the strike caused comparable disruption. Residents reported hearing no buzzing that is normally associated with drones but instead described several deep explosions. This suggested that Ukraine used cruise missiles rather than unmanned systems. The Orel thermal power plant had sustained earlier drone damage this month but this latest strike destroyed multiple sections. Analysts estimate that the facility provides about forty percent of the region’s electricity and up to sixty five percent of Orel’s central heating. The missile strike triggered widespread blackouts and may have permanently disabled one of the facility’s turbine halls.
The combined operations represent Ukraine’s first deliberate use of long range precision missiles against Russia’s central energy system. The capability had been withheld until now and the shift signals a notable change in both scale and pace. Missiles deliver concentrated force and reach targets faster than drones, giving air defence units less time to react. They also carry greater destructive potential, allowing them to damage reinforced structures that drones typically can only ignite.
The use of missiles indicates confidence in a more intensive long term strategy aimed at undermining Russia’s war economy. The strikes have disrupted the country’s energy backbone to a degree that drones alone could not achieve. At the same time, drone attacks remain effective and have already caused significant strain across multiple regions.
In Belgorod, a strike on the Lush thermal power plant left about twenty thousand residents without electricity. In Vladimir, the large seven hundred fifty kilovolt Vladimirskaya substation was struck again only weeks after previous repairs. This demonstrated that Ukrainian forces can disable high voltage infrastructure faster than Russia can restore it.
Drone strikes continued across other regions. The twenty five substation in Taganrog was damaged, cutting power to several districts. In Yevpatoria, explosions affected transmission links used by Russian military units. In Volgograd region, drones struck the Kostroma GRES thermal plant which is the third most powerful in Russia, forcing emergency shutdowns. In Luhansk, FP1 type kamikaze drones damaged six substations in a single night, leaving Russian positions without electricity.
These repeated incidents have placed increasing pressure on a grid that no longer has sufficient redundancy to reroute power efficiently.
Within a short period, Ukraine has combined missiles and drones into a layered campaign. Missiles are used for destruction and drones for disruption. Analysts estimate that about one quarter of Russia’s overall power generation capacity has been affected to varying degrees by recent strikes.
The attacks on Voronezh and Orel demonstrate that even recently constructed plants are vulnerable and that continued drone raids ensure instability across Russia’s power network. Russia can repair damaged facilities but the pace of Ukrainian strikes means new disruptions occur faster than older ones can be resolved. This marks a significant escalation in the broader contest over energy infrastructure.
Summary of Selected Reported Incidents
| Location | Type of Facility | Reported Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Voronezh | Thermal power plant | Major structural damage to new boiler unit and turbines |
| Orel | Thermal power plant | Large sections destroyed, widespread power and heating cuts |
| Belgorod | Thermal power plant | Power lost for about twenty thousand residents |
| Vladimir | High voltage substation | Damaged again after recent repairs |
| Luhansk | Multiple substations | Six substations damaged in one night |