KYIV, Ukraine -- A charred transformer from one of Ukraine’s badly damaged power plants has come to a square in Kyiv's city center — a stark reminder of the scale of destruction caused by Russian strikes on the country's energy system.The massive blackened hulk juxtaposed with a Ferris wheel further down Kontraktova Square — or Square of Contracts in honor of the place's mercantile past — also serves as a contrast between the peacetime that was and the harsh reality of war in Ukraine.The exhibition by private energy company DTEK, a nongovernmental organization and Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy opened on Thursday with a message urging people to feel "the pain and despair over the destroyed equipment” that energy workers experience first hand.
The organizers said that while they realize the transformer creates a somber atmosphere, their intention was not to “get anyone down” but to raise awareness of how difficult it is to bring light back to the houses in Ukraine after every Russian attack.The exhibit is to stay in Kyiv for the next two months — by then, Ukraine will inch closer to what will likely be another winter of war.
The government has warned residents to brace for their toughest winter yet since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022 as airstrikes against the country’s beleaguered energy infrastructure intensify.Russia continues to hammer Ukraine’s energy generation capacity, leaving the country heavily reliant on its three functioning nuclear power stations and electricity imports from European Union countries.According to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, there have been over 1,000 attacks targeting the country’s power grid.“There is no place, no region, no type of energy infrastructure that has not been affected by these attacks,” he said in a statement.Ukrainians, meanwhile, have to cope with frequent nationwide blackouts, enduring hours without electricity.
The shortages have exacerbated war fatigue as there ...