Russian attacks on Ukraine power grid touch Kyiv with blackouts ahead of peak demand

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

The Russian airstrikes targeting the grid since March have meant blackouts have even returned to the capital, Kyiv, which hadn’t experienced them since the first year of the war. Among the strikes were an April barrage that damaged Kyiv’s largest thermal power plant and a massive attack on May 8 that targeted power generation and transmission facilities in several regions.

In all, half of Ukraine’s energy system was damaged, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Entire apartment blocks in the capital went dark. The city's military administration said at least 10% of consumers were disconnected.

For many, it is a taste of what might be in store if Ukraine doesn't find other electricity sources before winter.

Before dawn Wednesday, a Russian drone attack on Sumy plunged the northern Ukraine city into darkness. Some power was restored to the city of around a quarter-million people in the morning as crews rushed to repair the damage, local authorities said.

With no end in sight to the attacks on the power grid and without a way to adequately defend against them, there are no quick fixes to the electricity shortages, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko explained. Ukraine is appealing to Western allies for more air defense systems and spare parts to fix its Soviet-era plants.

“With each attack we lose additional power generation, so it just goes minus, minus, minus,” Halushchenko said Tuesday while standing outside a coal-fired plant in central Ukraine that was destroyed in an April 11 attack. Any efforts to repair the plant would be futile until the military can defend it from another attack.

“Should we repair (power stations) just for them (Russians) to renew strikes while we are unable to defend ourselves?” the minister asked.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s joined him on the plant visit, underscoring Ukraine’s desperation to close the power gap as quickly as possible.

The first major test of the grid will come in July and August, when consumption due to summer heat can mirror levels in the sub-freezing winter months, the minister said.

By mid-May, Kyiv’s residents began to feel the consequences of Russia’s attacks. A cold snap drove up consumption, forcing Ukrenergo, the main transmission system operator, to introduce controlled blackouts throughout the country. Ukraine can't generate enough power to cover evening peaks, and the shortage is greater than the country’s ability to import electricity from Poland, Slovakia and Romania.

The April 11 attack on the plant destroyed generators, transformers and turbines — every necessary part to generate electricity, said Yevhen Harkavyi, the technical director of Centerenergo, which operates the plant.

Five missiles hit the facility that day, and workers were still clearing away rubble on Tuesday as snow-like tufts of poplar cotton fell through a hole in the roof.

The plan for winter is to restore power generation as much as possible, said Harkavyi. How that will happen isn't clear, he conceded: “The situation is already too difficult."

Ukraine is hoping to acquire parts from long-decommissioned German plants. Harkavyi said Ukrainian teams recently went to Germany to evaluate the equipment, which was taken offline because it doesn't meet European Union environmental standards. It remains to be seen how willing European allies will be to invest in Ukraine's coal-fueled energy sector given their own greener goals.

The teams are still evaluating how to get the equipment back to Ukraine, he said.

“This is the first question,” he said. “The second question is what Ukraine is crying about: We need active protection with air defense systems, and we hope that Mrs. Minister (Baerbock) has seen the scale of destruction and will do everything possible to call for help from the whole world.”

Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko look on fragments of Russian rocket during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A thermal power plant damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, second from left, speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A man looks on fragments of a Russian rocket that hit a thermal power plant in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

German's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko during official visit to a thermal power plant which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

DETROIT (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a home run and a double, Christian Vázquez had a homer and three hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 on Friday night.

“I think everybody put something on the table to win this game,” said Vázquez, who has three of his five homers this season against the Tigers. “When I swing at pitches at zone, I get different results. I feel good and I have confidence in myself.”

Pablo López (9-7) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out seven.

“A lot of my stuff got better toward the end of my outing,” he said.

Tigers starter Keider Montero (1-4) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings.

With only three healthy starters, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had to stay with Montero even after he allowed three homers in the first two innings.

“He was going to be out there,” Hinch said. “It's not easy right now — we have been putting together some bullpen games and there are some on the horizon, so Keider had a long leash. With three solo homers, we were still in the game.”

Buxton and Trevor Larnach gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead with back-to-back homers in the first, and Matt Wallner added a home run in the second.

Javier Báez hit his second homer in as many days to make it 3-2 in the third.

“I'm feeling good at the plate,” said Báez, who is hitting .179 with three homers. “I've been working a lot to play better, and if I can stay hot, I can have a big second half.”

The Twins regained control with three runs in the fourth.

Willi Castro knocked in two with a single to left and took a big turn around the bag, prompting second baseman Colt Keith to throw to first. The Tigers were wearing their black City Connect jerseys and the only person wearing that color at first was umpire Mike Muchlinski. Keith's throw sailed into Minnesota's dugout, allowing Castro to take third. He scored on Buxton's double to left.

“That's a tough inning when we've got two out, especially after (Báez) gets us back into the game with the homer,” Hinch said. “I haven't talked to Colt, but I think that's down to inexperience — I don't think Bligh (Madris) needed to travel with the runner. He could have stayed (at first), which is probably why he was trying to get back.”

Vázquez hit a two-run homer off Joey Wentz to make it 8-2 in the sixth.

The Tigers loaded the bases with no one out in the seventh, but Gio Urshela grounded into a force at the plate before Báez and Wenceel Pérez popped out.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Activated 3B Royce Lewis (adductor strain) from the injured list and optioned C Jair Carmago to Triple-A St. Paul. Lewis came into the game hitting .292 with 10 homers and 18 RBIs in 24 games.

Tigers: Placed All-Star OF Riley Greene (hamstring) on the injured list and recalled UTL Ryan Vilade from Triple-A Toledo. Greene has been injured in each of his first three seasons, limiting him to 293 games.

UP NEXT

The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday, with Tigers ace LHP Tarik Skubal (11-3, 2.34) facing Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (6-6, 3.65).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton misplays the double hit by Detroit Tigers' Matt Vierling during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Minnesota Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez (8) is greeted at home plate after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Will Vest throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers' Javier Baez is greeted at home plate by Carson Kelly after Baez's two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz walks next to the mound as Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez rounds the bases after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez is greeted in the dugout after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton misplays the double hit by Detroit Tigers' Matt Vierling during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton approaches home plate after a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)