Ukraine’s Power Grid Heroes: Utility Workers Risk Lives Under Russian Attacks

In the shadow of Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, thousands of utility workers are risking their lives daily to keep the lights on. As winter approaches, these workers have become frontline defenders in a battle to maintain the nation’s power supply despite repeated aerial bombardments targeting critical infrastructure.

At least 160 energy workers have been killed and more than 300 wounded since Russia’s invasion began nearly four years ago. Yet despite the dangers, tens of thousands continue showing up for work each day, often performing repairs under the threat of drone strikes and missile attacks.

“Better I become a target for Russia than civilians or soldiers,” says Bohdan Bilous, a 24-year-old lineman who repairs damaged power lines in the northern town of Shostka in the Sumy region. His shifts often stretch beyond 12 hours, sometimes under the constant buzz of Russian drones. “If one hits me, of course, it’ll be sad for everyone. But I’ll be glad it wasn’t a child, or a residential building. In a way, it’s a kind of self-sacrifice.”

In Chernihiv, 58-year-old Andrii Dzhuma has spent more than three decades working on the same power lines he first helped build when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. Since the war began, he has patched nearly 100 kilometers (65 miles) of damaged wires – not as part of modernization efforts, but simply to restore what Russian attacks have shattered.

“Somehow, but we still give people light,” he says with a shy smile, proud of his team’s accomplishments under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

The dangers these workers face are very real. In October, two energy workers were killed when a Russian Lancet drone struck their vehicle as they returned from repair work near the Russian border. For Oleksandr Leheda, a 49-year-old power line repairman, each workday begins with the same words from his wife: “Be careful,” “Easy,” and “Mind your step.”

“It’s scary to work near the Russian border,” Leheda acknowledges, recalling how the war’s first months were the most terrifying, when crews had to work under artillery fire that reached Chernihiv.

For Mykhailo, a 45-year-old senior power unit engineer, duty calls even during attacks. “If all the turbine operators hid during attacks, there’d be no energy left,” he explains from inside the machine hall of a thermal power plant. “We have to stay at our posts. Who else would do the job?”

The psychological toll is heavy. Mykhailo was just meters away when a colleague was killed at his post after a Russian strike last year. “I was simply luckier,” he says quietly.

Oleksandr Adamchuk, a 36-year-old repair and maintenance supervisor for substations in the Kyiv region, can be called to work at any hour – even the middle of the night. The father of three lived through the Russian occupation of his village early in the war. “The main thing is that our soldiers hold the front so the Russians don’t come here. We’ll do everything to make sure people don’t freeze this winter,” he says with determination.

For Maria, a 35-year-old bridge crane operator at a thermal power plant, anxiety peaks whenever she hears missiles overhead. “You hear explosions and realize they probably have hit,” she explains. “You feel anxious — not for yourself, but for what we do, for our work.” Some of Maria’s colleagues previously worked at the Kurakhove Thermal Power Plant, which was captured by Russian forces in January 2025. “They’ve seen more and faced greater danger than we have,” she reflects. “They keep working, so I believe that if they can do it, so can we.”

Despite the immense challenges, these workers find meaning in their dangerous mission. “It’s always rewarding when you restore power and people thank you,” says Serhii Staroselskyi, a 37-year-old section supervisor who often travels to border areas for repairs. “That’s the best reward.”

Andrii, a 46-year-old senior technician with 28 years of experience, remains steadfast despite the wartime dangers his once-routine job now entails. “Every time, we expect winter to be difficult, but we manage to cope, and spring comes anyway,” he says resolutely. “We can’t give up — we have to keep working.”

As Ukraine braces for another difficult winter under Russian bombardment, these unsung heroes of the energy sector continue their vital work, determined to keep their country powered despite the tremendous personal risks they face every day.