MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. More than 300 facilities of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been damaged since last October, the country’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

"Throughout the last heating season, which continued between October 2022 and March 2023, there have been 271 strikes on the power grid. By now, their number has grown significantly, to more than 300," he told the Rada television.

The head of the country’s national energy company Ukrenergo, Vladimir Kudritsky, admitted on October 6 that Ukraine would be unable to repair all damaged energy facilities before the start of the upcoming winter season.

According to Reuters, the country’s energy infrastructure has sustained serious damage. According to the United Nations, Ukraine’s power generation capacities, previously estimated at 37 GW, have more than halved since February 2022 and are now at 19GW. The Kiev School of Economy’s research center estimates the direct damage dealt to the country’s energy infrastructure by June 2023 to be at $8.8 billion.

Earlier, the effects of the situation were mitigated by relatively warm weather, prompt repairs, nuclear power generation capacities and energy imports from Europe, but this winter is expected to be tougher than the previous one, the agency reported.