During the attack on February 16 on Mykolaiv, which resulted in damage to the thermal power plant, the Russians used Shahed drones equipped with 12-channel antennas. This was reported by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitaliy Kim, during a broadcast on Rанок.LIVE.
According to him, the Russian army began using such drones in 2025. The official clarified that the damage to communications and critical infrastructure equipment was not caused by falling debris, but rather by direct hits.
"These were direct hits... We see that Mykolaiv was attacked for the first time by 'Shaheds' with 12-channel antennas. The maximum previously was eight... This means that the new drones (according to UNIAN) have been available to Russia since 2025 and, in my opinion, the Russians can produce them themselves," said Kim.
He added that military and other relevant specialists are currently analyzing the available information and considering how to counter the threat.
Additionally, the head of the OVA mentioned that despite the cunning attack by the enemy, heating in the city is being restored; however, the temperature of the water in the radiators does not yet meet the standards, although it is gradually increasing.
"As for heating, which affects 100 thousand people... As of 8 AM, we have restored heating. The temperature is now rising to operational levels. While it remains low, the increase is being done slowly to avoid accidents. Thanks to the energy workers, the situation has been rectified," emphasized Kim.
Attack on Mykolaiv on February 16 - What We Know
On the night of February 16, Russian occupiers specifically targeted the critical infrastructure of Mykolaiv, and the enemy's UAVs damaged the city's thermal power plant. Tens of thousands of people were left without heating. A total of 67 invincibility points were deployed in the city, and three modular boiler houses were connected to healthcare facilities.
The city mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, stated that the "generation of electricity" was completely destroyed as a result of the attack and cannot be restored in the near future. It was mentioned that there would be heating problems in the homes serviced by the Mykolaiv TPP for the next two days.