Russian strikes on the Bortnytsia power plant in Kyiv could trigger a humanitarian crisis
Russian troops are systematically targeting the Bortnytsia wastewater treatment plant in Kyiv—the only facility that treats wastewater from the capital and surrounding communities. This could lead to a large-scale humanitarian crisis, said Viktor Taran, co-founder and director of the Eidos Center.
According to him, over the past year, the plant has repeatedly come under Russian ballistic strikes, indicating targeted attacks on this critical infrastructure facility.
Taran explained that while the plant’s structures themselves are difficult to destroy, its power supply systems, pumping stations, distribution equipment, and control systems remain the most vulnerable. In the event of a prolonged power outage, biological wastewater treatment could cease, and it would take several weeks to resume operations.
“The plant is not a reservoir; it is a continuous technological process that relies on pumping and aeration. It’s enough to cut off its power for a few days, and the biological treatment process simply dies along with the activated sludge; after that, restoration takes weeks even if the facilities remain intact,” he said.
The analyst warned that in such a case, untreated wastewater could flow into the Dnipro River, which serves as a source of drinking water for a number of Ukrainian cities, including Cherkasy, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia. This, he said, creates a risk of spreading infectious diseases, including hepatitis A and dysentery.
Taran also emphasized that it is impossible to quickly replace the Bortnytsia plant, as the construction of such infrastructure takes many years. In his view, to protect the facility, it is necessary to reinforce the shelters for critical equipment, ensure a backup power supply, and create a stockpile of necessary components for rapid repairs.
At the same time, he noted that no country is capable of fully protecting all critical infrastructure facilities from ballistic missiles, so striking missile launch sites, production facilities, and logistics hubs on Russian territory remains a key element of security.
Taran wrote about this on Facebook on August 5.
As a reminder, Russia is ramping up its production of ballistic missiles and is already capable of launching about 100 missiles per month. This poses a serious threat to Ukraine, as the occupiers are increasingly targeting logistics, manufacturing, and civilian infrastructure.
As a result of a nighttime missile attack by Russia on the night of August 5, the production and logistics facilities of the company “Epicenter” sustained significant damage. One employee was killed, and three others were injured.
In Brovary, near Kyiv, Russian troops destroyed the Rozetka distribution warehouse complex on the night of August 5. The facility was struck by three ballistic missiles. No one was injured, but the complex itself cannot be restored.
As a result of a Russian drone attack on August 4 in Dnipro, a warehouse belonging to the company “Biosfera”—part of a 20,000-square-meter warehouse complex—was completely destroyed.
