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What did Ukraine's power grid face by 25 October 2022?
Summary
A look back at the pressure on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the days before 25 October 2022, and the reports of Iranian drone support.
What was happening to Ukraine's energy system as 25 October 2022 approached? Reports from the preceding days pointed to sustained Russian strikes on infrastructure, with consequences that reached households across the country.
Strikes on energy sites
On 20 October 2022, a Russian missile hit a major thermal power station in Burshtyn, in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk said the plant had suffered "quite serious damage". The strike showed that energy facilities far from the front line were within reach.
By 22 October 2022, power outages were being reported across Ukraine. Citizens were advised to store water, as Russian airstrikes in many regions continued to damage critical infrastructure and energy facilities.
The drone question
Also on 20 October 2022, the United States reported that Iranian troops were in Crimea, helping the Russian military use Iranian drones. That report added an international dimension to the air campaign, which was already straining Ukraine's infrastructure.
Where things stood
On 25 October 2022, then, Ukrainians were living with outages and with official advice to prepare for interruptions to water supplies. The damage to the Burshtyn station and to other energy facilities was part of a pattern of attacks that had been building over the preceding days.
