Largest thermal power plant in Ukraine destroyed in missile attack

KIEV: The Zmiivska thermal power plant (TPP) in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region had been destroyed in a Russian missile attack, the media said, citing Ukrainian power generating company Centrenergo.

The missile strike on March 22 destroyed all the plant's units and damaged auxiliary equipment, Centrenergo said in a report.

At present, workers are still clearing the rubble at the site and there is no access to most of the plant's equipment, Xinhua news agency reported.

On March 22, Russia fired 88 missiles and 63 Shahed combat drones at Ukraine, which Ukrainian authorities described as the largest strike on the country's energy infrastructure to date, the report added.

The Zmiivska TPP, which had a capacity of 2,200 MW, is the largest power generating facility in eastern Ukraine, local media reported.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on March 22 in a statement that the Russian military launched massive missile and drone attacks on energy and military facilities in Ukraine that day, and "all goals of the massive strike have been achieved".