Russian forces struck the Kherson thermal power plant with four glide bombs, destroying all heat- and power-generating equipment. State energy company Naftogaz stated the attack, which caused critical damage to the facility supplying heat to residential buildings, has no military purpose and aims to terrorize civilians ahead of the heating season.
The destruction of the Kherson thermal power plant's generating equipment jeopardizes heating for tens of thousands of residents as winter approaches, highlighting the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure by Russian forces in the ongoing conflict.
Russian forces struck the Kherson thermal power plant with four glide bombs overnight, destroying all heat- and power-generating equipment at the facility ahead of the heating season, state energy company Naftogaz said on Aug. 27, 2026.
The attack caused critical damage to the plant, which supplies heat to a significant number of residential buildings in Kherson. "This attack has no military purpose. Its sole aim is to terrorize civilians and attempt to deprive tens of thousands of Kherson residents of a source of heat ahead of the heating season," acting Naftogaz CEO Sergii Fedorenko said.
Employees were in shelters at the time of the attack and were not injured, Naftogaz said. The strike came just a day after Russian forces hit the same plant with a glide bomb on Aug. 26, causing what Naftogaz at the time described as serious damage to Kherson's main source of heating.
The Kherson plant has been repeatedly targeted by Russian forces. Naftogaz reported earlier in August that Russia had attacked its facilities 293 times since the beginning of 2026. "The intensity of the attacks has more than doubled compared with previous years," the company said.
Kherson, located close to the front line, faces daily Russian attacks that regularly kill and injure civilians and damage homes and critical infrastructure. Despite the relentless strikes, more than 60,000 residents, including over 4,000 children, still live in the city, according to local authorities.