Oleksandr Adamov does not take shelter when Russian missiles and drones approach the critical Ukrainian energy facility where he works. Instead, he puts on a bulletproof vest and helmet and enters a special metal protective capsule, crouching down to fit inside.
The barrel-shaped capsule allows him to keep monitoring the facility’s central control panel, located close to the equipment that Russia is deliberately and regularly targeting, and an opening at the bottom offers an escape route if it gets buried.
“It’s scary, of course,” Adamov told CNN. “But we overcome our fears and tell ourselves that we have to stay because of the equipment, first and foremost, to keep people warm. Otherwise, who will do it, if not us?”
His energy facility has been attacked dozens of times by the Russians in recent months and has repeatedly suffered damage. Adamov, who sometimes spends long hours sheltering in the capsule, keeps a close eye on the devices from a short distance.
Made of thick steel and protected on all sides by sandbags, the capsule is strong enough to shield engineers from debris, but not from a direct hit.
“The real fear comes later, when you see the consequences of these attacks. In the moment, there’s a rush of adrenaline. But later, when you realize what could have happened if the strike had been 5 or 10 meters closer…” Adamov said, trailing off.
The machine room bears the scars of Russian strikes: holes in the walls punched by flying debris, burnt equipment and broken windows that leave the workers freezing in temperatures of –10 degrees Celsius (14F).
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, Russia carried out 612 combined drone and missile attacks on the country’s energy facilities in 2025. Over the last three months, Russia has targeted 11 hydroelectric power plants and 45 heat and power plants, and has hit electrical substations 151 times.
The heat supply to part of a city depends on the operation of Adamov’s facility. So when an attack sends most employees into its shelter, at least two people must remain at the control panel to manage the system.
“The sense of duty outweighs the feeling of fear. Technologically, everything is arranged in such a way that even when the equipment stops due to an attack, we must ensure that it happens correctly. Therefore, when we see any emergency situations, we leave the protective capsule and, if necessary, we can intervene in the system manually. Because if we don’t do this, the consequences for the city’s heat supply could be even more severe,” Adamov explained.
He has lost count of how many attacks he has experienced at work. “Before the war, work shifts were difficult due to emergency situations or other issues, but now there is constant tension – either from Shahed (drone) attacks or missiles. Of course, we hear the interceptions and the explosions from the hits. Missiles cause a huge explosion. And it’s unclear where it will hit – whether it will be equipment, the workshop, or people.”
As Ukraine’s coldest winter in 20 years set in, Russia intensified its assault on the energy sector. Overnight into January 9, a massive attack left 6,000 buildings without power in Kyiv alone. Just as the capital started to recover from the damage and heat began to return to people’s homes, Russia launched its largest strike of the year so far, firing more than 30 missiles and 339 drones overnight into Tuesday.
In Kyiv alone, the attack left more than 300,000 homes without electricity and more than a million people without water. While the Kyiv region was the primary target, energy facilities in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Rivne and elsewhere were also attacked.
More than 15,000 energy workers, including Adamov and his colleagues, are now battling to repair the damage across Ukraine.
“It has become more difficult to work, both mentally and physically. But we are doing what we can and even more,” Adamov said, as his colleagues nearby used welding tools to carry out repairs. “People are working, giving their all, freezing, drinking tea, getting cold again, drinking more tea. And so we work all day, around the clock.”
The challenges have changed the nature of their work but have also brought them closer, Adamov explained. “We joke and tell anecdotes to somehow ease the tension and reduce it… People have become more united. They have become friendlier.”
Adamov’s son is also an energy worker, so the family has become somewhat accustomed to living with constant risk. “I have been working here for 35 years,” Adamov said. “I could never have imagined that I would be wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet at my job. Now, working in the energy sector is like being on the front line, except that we don’t have weapons in our hands.”
Despite the dangers, he and his colleagues are determined to keep bringing heat to the homes and workplaces of Ukraine. “How long will this last? We’ll see if the Russians have enough sense to stop doing all this,” he said. “They should already understand that people will not give up until the end.”
