KHARKIV OBLAST, UKRAINE, Apr 25 — Power engineers have restored electricity to Brazhkivka in the Kharkiv region, which has been without power since the beginning of the Russian invasion, reported the Ukrainian energy supply company Kharkivoblenergo.

Brazhkivka is a village in the Oskil community in the Izium district of the Kharkiv region. Before the full-scale war war, 330 people lived there. The settlement is located 20 kilometers from the district center of Izium. Russian troops occupied the village on April 3, 2022, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces deoccupied it on August 28.

“There has been no electricity since February 2022. Before the war, there were 58 houses registered in Brazhkivka, now two families have returned, and summer residents are coming. Everything was damaged here: the [power] substation, poles, wires — almost nothing was left. First, we restored the substation and then started repairing the lines. We installed 10 high-voltage poles and 30 low-voltage poles in the village and replaced damaged wires,” said Vitalii Borshch, acting senior foreman of Izium Power Distribution Company.

According to power engineers, the Oskil community in the Kharkiv region, which includes Brazhkivka, is among the areas that suffer the most from Russian aggression. Therefore, even with the involvement of additional repair crews from other districts, it was not possible to quickly repair all the villages of the community.

Residents say they are very happy to have electricity back in their homes and hope other villagers will return soon.

As Ukrainian energy company Ukrenergo reported, about 207,000 homes in the Kharkiv region are now without power due to Russian missile strikes.  

Russian attack on Kharkiv in March 2024 effectively destroyed all power and heating infrastructure supplying the city and Kharkiv Oblast. Both Kharkiv and its region are currently supplied with electricity from other Ukrainian regions.

Ukrenergo reports that the power grid is experiencing a daily electricity shortage. Due to the damage caused by Russian missile strikes, power plants are unable to generate enough electricity to cover all consumer needs.

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