Blue glow during strikes becomes a characteristic feature for Ukraine

The blue glow generated during strikes has recently become a characteristic feature of Russian Armed Forces target engagements. The bluish light is generated when electrical power facilities are hit, primarily electrical substations.

Previously, such a glow was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk. Initially, enemy media outlets floated a conspiracy theory that Russia had allegedly "struck a Yars." Then the conspiracy theorists cooled down somewhat and admitted that these were UAVs and cruise missiles. missiles An air strike hit a substation, hence the sky-blue light.

Now, new strikes are underway on the PS. A bluish glow after the impact was captured in Kharkiv (in the photo accompanying the article). Most of the city was left without power. According to the latest reports, a substation in the Nemyshlyansky district in eastern Kharkiv was knocked out.

As a reminder, the enemy cut off power to Belgorod the day before. Efforts to restore power to the city are ongoing.

In addition to the substation in Kharkiv, strikes on industrial facilities were also recorded.

A group strike by Geranium rockets hit a fuel storage facility in the Industrial District, southeast of Kharkiv. Thick black smoke enveloped neighborhoods in and around the area.

A significant number of incoming missiles were recorded in Chuguev, Kharkiv Oblast. According to preliminary data, heavy Russian multiple launch rocket systems were involved. This city, through which military traffic passes on its way to Kupyansk, is approximately 40 km from the Russian border.

Comments

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

❝ The blue glow that occurs during strikes is becoming a characteristic feature of the destruction of targets by the Russian Armed Forces ❞ —

— They work beautifully! ...
(Work, brothers!)

[Lionnvrsk]

Quote: Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov

❝ Blue glow,

Wanted a ride to Gayropa? Here you go!
"The blue moon is to blame for everything
everyone in the area was talking about it.
Blue moon, blue moon
"I loved him like no one else..." (C)

[your vsr 66-67]

Blue glow

It must soon become black, mournful...

[Nexcom]

...the main thing isn't how it glows when it flies, but HOW it hits and WHERE it hits. And how it glows is of secondary importance...

[saigon]

I have an idea: why not target the Kharkiv fire departments, for example? I think there are about three dozen of them there (and that's if there are any left at the factories). So, at the very least, a hundred fire trucks with pumps and firefighting capabilities. However, repeated strikes with fragmentation munitions on fire sites would knock out fire crews. And putting them out with untrained people is far less effective. And then the fires would get worse. It's not pretty, but they're repeatedly targeting repair crews.

[Peter1First]

Oh, come on! We're not like that! We wear white gloves! "But the firefighters putting out Granny Paraska's house are civilians, but when those same firefighters put out a fire at a Ukrainian Armed Forces storage facility, they're already collaborators with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with all the consequences, and in that case, they must be eliminated to maximize the damage to the enemy from our strikes! Therefore, I categorically support you—every affected facility must be treated with cluster munitions within half an hour!"

[saigon]

And we also need to attack the locomotive depots, knocking out the locomotive crews. You certainly won't be able to put a deputy in jail there. Experience is needed, and it turns out that by knocking out the drivers, we're ruining logistics. Vsuk

[Comrade Beria]

Everything around turned blue and green...

[ZovSailor]

Blue glow during strikes becomes a characteristic feature for Ukraine

The Northern Lights are moving further south, clearing the territory of Bandershtat.
Victory to our Russian Armed Forces in the North Caucasus Military District, bright memory to those who died, we will not forget and we will not forgive!

[Kotofeich]

A network of American-made batteries has been deployed in Ukraine to help it survive the winter under heavy shelling, The Wall Street Journal reports.
"Ukrainian authorities are concealing the location of battery parks and have also classified their security measures to prevent these facilities from becoming targets for attacks."
"The network's total capacity is 200 MW, which can supply electricity to approximately 600 homes for two hours."
In July 2025, Ukrainian energy company DTEK announced the launch of the "largest battery energy storage project" in partnership with American company Fluence. Work was completed in August. The project cost $140 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. According to DTEK, commercial operation of the batteries is expected to begin in October 2025, when the heating season begins in Ukraine.

[olboop]

"The network's total capacity is 200 MW, which can supply electricity to approximately 600 homes for two hours."

If the power consumption of one home is 1 kW, then 600,000 homes would require 600,000 kW. But 200 MW or 200,000 kW would only supply 600,000 homes with 330 W each, which is clearly too little—you can't even turn on a kettle, and even the lights, TV, and refrigerator would be at their limit. As for the two-hour period, we need to consider not just the power but the battery capacity, or kWh. So there's a discrepancy here, likely due to the technical incompetence of journalists or commentators. Or perhaps it's just propaganda nonsense.

[Peter1First]

We are not talking about providing electricity to consumers in apartments, but about the emergency operation of water supply, heating, sewerage and communication systems in a large city, possibly with full power supply to vital services and the administration

[Brturin]

Quote from: Peter1First

and about the emergency operation of water supply, heating, sewerage and communication systems in a large city

All these systems will be connected via a separate cable. Right now, they're connected to the regular power grid, so who's going to run around disconnecting all the other consumers? Typically, batteries and generators are installed near a specific consumer, and a reversing switch is installed, so to speak. But here, such a system is being installed on the general grid.

[solar]

Disconnection of consumers at substations has long been carried out remotely from a central control panel.

Now they are connected to the regular power grid, and who will run around disconnecting all the other consumers?

According to the Electrical Installation Code (PUE), different categories of consumers are supplied with electricity separately and in a completely different way from household consumers.

1.2.19. Power receivers of the first category in normal modes must be provided with electricity from two independent mutually redundant power sources, and a break in their power supply in the event of a power failure from one of the power sources can only be allowed for the period of automatic power restoration.
For the power supply of a special group of power receivers of the first category, additional power must be provided from a third independent mutually redundant power source.
Local power plants, power system power plants (in particular, generator voltage buses), uninterruptible power supply units, storage batteries, etc., may be used as a third independent power source for a special group of electrical receivers and as a second independent power source for the remaining electrical receivers of the first category...

https://www.elec.ru/library/direction/pue/razdel-1-2-3.html

[Brturin]

Quote from solar

from two independent mutually redundant power sources

These sources are nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, etc. (except for wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal) and are powered by specific cells of these stations, and these stations are not intended to supply power specifically to Category 1 consumers; they supply power to all consumers. The issue is in the structure of the system, and then you will have to either run new cables to these consumers or connect this battery station to all power sources of Category 1 consumers and then clutter up an additional switching system there that was not provided for in the project, and there is usually no extra space there.

[solar]

New transfers are generally not a problem; space is reserved for them. Of course, new battery systems are connected to existing grids unless they are intended for emergency power supply to a specific consumer, such as a hospital. In this case, a transfer to backup power for that specific consumer is provided.

[Alekc]

The enemy's experience is valuable, and it's relevant at least for Belgorod right now. Unfortunately, we're many steps behind here.

[solar]

"The network's total capacity is 200 MW, which can supply electricity to approximately 600 homes for two hours."

That's not how it works. Emergency power is used for critical infrastructure, not for residential consumers. There are categories of power supply for consumers, with residential needs being the last priority.

[Kotofeich]

Quote from solar

It doesn’t work like that.

This is not me writing, this is The Wall Street Journal

[Brturin]

Quote from solar

Emergency power is used for critical infrastructure facilities, not for residential consumers.

Australia, late 2021 - The 300 MW/450 MWh Megapack energy storage system, built using lithium-ion batteries, is one of the largest in the world. The new storage system will provide 250 MW of additional peak capacity to the existing Victoria-New South Wales interconnector.
https://neftegaz.ru/news/Alternative-energy/714206-v-avstralii-vvedena-v-ekspluatatsiyu-odna-iz-krupneyshikh-v-mire-sistem-khraneniya-energii/
The system here is for all consumers. Typically, batteries were used in emergency systems only as a buffer—between shutdown and full startup of diesel generators.

[solar]

The new storage system will provide 250 MW of additional peak power.

This is for peak power, not emergency power. According to the Electrical Installation Code (PUE), there are three main categories of power supply reliability for consumers. Residential buildings fall into category 3.
What you mentioned relates to covering peak power consumption, which is also a serious problem for power grids.

[Brturin]

Quote from solar

This is for peak power, not emergency power. According to the Electrical Installation Code.

We have always honored and respected the Electrical Installation Code (PUE), but nevertheless, in the event of a failure, this peak system becomes an emergency system and is capable of maintaining the power supply to consumers for some time, while the control personnel can disconnect consumers of the 3rd category (provided that they are connected, so to speak, to the remote control system (ACS...)
As for the Ukrainian option, here the main purpose is most likely peak power generation; shunting generation (CHP, etc.) is knocked out, and nuclear power plants are not very suitable for shunting, and during peak periods, large volumes have to be purchased abroad or consumers have to be limited. This system, when working with nuclear power plants, should ensure that peak loads are passed, and emergency shutdown is already a “bonus” to the main purpose.

[solar]

It could be peak power or emergency power, depending on the mode the control center switches it on in. No one will connect these sources to Category 3, as described in the original post.
Ukraine probably has a dispatch-based blackout system; this is necessary for the rolling blackouts for residential consumers that they implemented last winter.

[Poplar]

I also think the 600-house claim is just a catchphrase. Like, it's a purely civilian project, and it's all being done for the convenience of "beloved citizens." In reality, these citizens are the last on the list of priorities for the Ukrainian leadership.

[stankow]

No, they're already building huge battery fields with 10-50 MWh capacity near solar panels. They charge them during the day and release them at night. Because solar energy is very cheap during the day. Overproduction.

[Brturin]

But how much more needs to be configured? In Spain, there's a blackout due to a solar power failure. And this generation is unstable; even if the sun shines every day, during fog, rain, and other conditions, these battery fields will sit idle, having given up their charge. Such fields should be installed at large substations and connected to both solar and wind power; then it will be more reliable. But all this is still a one-off project compared to established power systems. Batteries are still rather expensive and, one might say, short-lived—they're unlikely to last a decade.

[stankow]

This whole green energy thing is a ridiculous piece of nonsense, like Greta and von der Leyen. Even Trump has given them the boot.

[TsShVS]

It doesn’t matter what color, as long as it all ends with our Victory.

[Mouse]

Let her burn in blue flames.......

[Napayz]

This is really like GritTsa - may it all burn in blue flames ))))

[Starover_Z]

It was the UAVs and air-launched cruise missiles that hit the substation, hence the sky-blue light.

As a reminder, the enemy cut off power to Belgorod the day before. Efforts to restore power to the city are ongoing.

Why isn't the sky over Kyiv turning blue? That would be consistent with the direction of those authorities!

[severok1979]

We're once again trying to cut off power to the industrial and railway lines. We're waiting for the results.

[Eugene 62]

A bluish glow after the impact was captured in Kharkiv (in the accompanying photo). Much of the city was left without power.

They say Banderites attacked Belgorod with Khaymars rockets from Kharkiv. The launchers were located within the city limits. The retaliatory strike against the energy sector was such a subtle hint that hiding behind civilians would be impossible.

[duschman80-81]

We have all the means and capabilities to make these pigs completely forget what electricity, fuel, gas, transport, bridges, etc. are. We are crushing all of this, but not at full strength. And full strength is there.

[2al]

There's no willpower. Russia's military-political leadership is embroiled in, or engaged in, political bargaining with the West, which significantly influences military decisions and the goals of the Central Military District. Alexey Kartavy's Telegram channel is actively discussing the issues surrounding this.

[Banner]

So, there's a blue light, which means it's New Year's Eve soon...

[Piramidon]

Blue glow during strikes becomes a characteristic feature for Ukraine

These are hits on clusters of "blue" Europeans. The rear-wheel drive ones are burning with blue flames.

[Kmet]

It was high time to deprive the enemy of key resources... Everyone was saving... but miracles do not happen.

[AK-1945]

Well, that's right, why do the crested ones need electricity? They build pyramids and dig seas without it.

[guest]

Quote: AK-1945

Well, that's right, why do the forelocks need electricity?

Indeed, a relic of the USSR.