On 22 March 2024, Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, hitting the hydroelectric power plant in Zaporizhzhia in the early hours of the morning.
Over 150 missiles and drones were reportedly fired in what is being described as one of the most major assaults on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Videos verified by CIR document the moment Ukraine’s largest dam was hit by a Russian cruise missile and show the Dnipro dam in flames. As well as damage to the power station and dam, CIR was able to verify damage to around 20 civilian houses, a bus, an area of a quarry and an oil spill in the Dnipro River.
Investigators were also able to verify damage and destruction to three substations and a power station in Kharkiv. The attacks have had a major impact on the power supply across the country, leaving over a million people without access to electricity.
Russia has repeatedly damaged or destroyed Ukrainian civilian infrastructure over the past two years, with CIR verifying over 2,600 attacks on hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure including energy sites and telecommunication networks.
CIR’s Eyes on Russia map contains over 18,000 verified entries relating to Russia’s war on Ukraine. It documents human rights abuses, attacks and casualties, damage to infrastructure, and Russian military movements.
Explore the map here.
Resources
The below links are footage and images verified by CIR using open source techniques such as geolocation. Please note that this list is not exhaustive – some links have not been shared for privacy reasons, or due to graphic content.
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