Russian forces destroyed the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Kyiv Oblast because Ukraine had run out of missiles to defend it during an attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with PBS NewsHour published on April 16.
The Trypillia TPP was completely destroyed in a Russian strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure on April 11, leading to the 100% loss of Centrenergo’s generating capacity.
Russia launched 11 missiles in the direction of the plant, according to Zelensky. Ukraine was able to shoot down the first seven, and four “destroyed Trypillia.”
“Why? Because there were zero missiles. We ran out of all the missiles that protected the Trypillia TPP,” the president said.
The plant is located less than 30 kilometers south of Kyiv and was the main power supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts.