Russian Attack Reportedly Damages Kyiv HPP, No Imminent Danger of Breach

Missiles and drones targeted the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) during Russia’s mass attack on Monday, Aug. 26, the local authorities announced.

According to a top manager of the state energy company, as reported by Forbes Ukraine, in the morning, Russian forces attempted to destroy the Kyiv HPP using various types of missiles and drones. While the attack resulted in hits and damage, there is no threat of a dam breach or critical damage to the plant, according to the energy company’s top manager, who spoke to Forbes anonymously due to a lack of authorization to comment on the matter.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, confirmed the attack on the HPP.

“There are no threats to the Kyiv HPP dam. It is impossible to destroy it with missiles,” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.

He added that this situation should not be compared to the Kherson region, where sabotage from within caused damage. He said that Russia is using this information to incite panic.

Ihor Syrota, the general director of Ukrhydroenergo, previously revealed that destroying the Kyiv HPP would be very difficult. However, if it were to happen, it could cause flooding in the basements of districts near the Dnipro River and disrupt the supply of drinking water temporarily.

Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv Region Military Administration, firstly reported that two energy facilities were damaged in the Kyiv region during the morning attack.

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“Two energy facilities were damaged in Kyiv region,” he wrote, without specifying which facilities.

He reported that more than 30 private houses were damaged by falling fragments from downed enemy targets, with one house destroyed and another significantly damaged. A warehouse, garages, and three cars were also damaged.

As of noon, three residents of the region were reported injured, including a woman born in 1965 who was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.

Kravchenko reported that a woman born in 1984 and her five-month-old child were also injured. The mother had previously suffered a brain injury. The baby fell out of the stroller and sustained a scratch on her thigh.

Later, he announced on the telethon that the passage through the dam of the Kyiv HPP would be opened at approximately 4:00 p.m., “if there are no additional air alarms and attacks.”

“Right now, all services are on the ground dealing with the consequences of this attack,” he said.

When asked for clarification, Kravchenko confirmed that the dam was not critically damaged: “Everything is correct. We thank the air defense forces.”

Kravchenko also mentioned that energy workers are working to restore electricity to all residents. He explained that the specialists couldn't begin their work for a long time due to a prolonged air alarm.

“Now they have started. They will analyze all the consequences, assess how quickly we can restore power, and gradually reconnect all subscribers,” he said.

In July, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Ukraine of planning to blow up dams near Kyiv and Kaniv, allegations that Ukraine denied. The Center for Countering Disinformation explained that these accusations were intended to cause panic among Ukrainians.

Russian missile and drone strikes hit Ukraine's power grid on Monday, Aug. 26, killing at least four people and prompting emergency blackouts. The aerial assault, the largest in weeks, targeted 15 regions across the country overnight.

During the attack, Russia launched approximately 100 missiles and a similar number of drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In Kyiv, Kyiv Post team members reported hearing multiple explosions in various districts. Explosions were also reported in cities and regions across Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Kropyvnytsky, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, and Vinnytsia.

These attacks coincide with Ukraine’s ongoing major cross-border offensive in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv has been fighting for nearly three weeks and claimed on Sunday to be making progress.