Ukrainian forces hit the Starobesheve thermal power station in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast late on 11 November, triggering a large explosion and subsequent fire that disrupted electricity supply across occupied territories from Donetsk to Mariupol.
The strike extends Ukraine's systematic energy warfare campaign into territories Russia has occupied since 2014. Ukrainian forces have conducted retaliatory strikes on Russian power infrastructure since October, after Moscow's winter terror campaign destroyed over half of Ukraine's pre-war generating capacity in early 2025. The Starobesheve attack shifts focus from Russian territory to energy supplies sustaining occupation administrations.
Strategic facility powers Russian occupation infrastructure
The Starobesheve thermal power plant, located in Novyi Svit settlement, has a reported electrical capacity of about 2,300 MW and serves as the primary source of power supply for the occupied territories, Militarnyi reported. Purported videos posted on social media appear to show a large explosion and subsequent fire emanating from the Starobesheve power plant, captured by local residents.
Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, noted that the plant was damaged and out of order, which caused massive power outages in the occupied cities—from Donetsk to Mariupol. Residents say electricity in homes is intermittent, with some appliances malfunctioning, according to RBC-Ukraine.
The facility has been under Russian control since 2014. After Ukraine disconnected the occupied parts of Donbas from its national grid in 2017, the Starobesheve and Zuiivska thermal power plants remained the main electricity sources for the Russian-occupied territories, RBC-Ukraine reported.
Ukraine expands deep-strike energy campaign
The Starobesheve strike is part of Ukraine's broader campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure:
- Days before Starobesheve, Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated assault on fuel and drone infrastructure in Volgograd, Crimea, and Donetsk
- Ukrainian forces conducted more than 160 precision strikes on oil refineries and energy facilities in 2025, reducing Russia's oil production by up to 90% and causing a fuel shortage of over 20%, according to Security Service of Ukraine chief Vasyl Malyuk
- Ukrainian drones and missiles have hit power facilities deep inside Russia for several consecutive nights, demonstrating both reach and precision
- The International Energy Agency estimates Ukrainian strikes cut Russia's refining output by 500,000 barrels per day, keeping processing rates low until at least mid-2026
- President Zelenskyy warned that if Russia resumed its winter terror campaign on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Ukraine would strike back in kind.
