Russian Media: Ukrainian Missile Strike Likely Disables Mychurinskaya Thermal Power Plant in Belgorod

A Ukrainian missile strike during the night of February 18 likely put the Mychurinskaya gas-turbine combined heat and power plant (CHP), owned by GT Energo, out of operation in Belgorod.

The local Telegram channel Pepel reported the incident and published photos showing the aftermath of the strike.

By morning, residents reported that electricity had gone out in several districts of the city.

The Mychurinskaya plant primarily supplies power to the production facilities and administrative buildings of the Belenergomash – BZEM plant and is not part of the city’s district heating system.

The enterprise specializes in manufacturing equipment for Russia’s power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical, and nuclear industries.

According to the company’s website, the Mychurinskaya CHP plant has an electrical capacity of 24.2 MW and a thermal capacity of 80 Gcal per hour.

The previous strike on this facility in the aggressor country took place on the night of January 21. At that time, Russian officials claimed that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had launched around 25 missiles toward Belgorod.

On February 11, Ukrainian forces also struck the 330/110 kV Frunzenskaya substation and the 110 kV Donets substation in Russia’s Belgorod region.

The main purpose of the Frunzenskaya substation, located near the village of Dragunskoye, is to receive 330 kV power from generating stations (nuclear, thermal, or district power plants) and step it down to 110 kV to supply electricity to the entire region.

Substations of this class power railway traction networks. Disabling such a facility halts the movement of electric locomotives, forcing the enemy to look for scarce diesel locomotives to move military trains.

The Donets substation is located on the grounds of the Belgorod thermal power plant and directly distributes electricity to end consumers in the city and surrounding areas.

Power supply disruptions in Belgorod were also reported on February 13 following a missile strike.