On January 22, 2024, while leading emergency repairs at a missile-damaged substation, one of Ukraine’s most brilliant energy engineers, Oleksii Brekht, was killed. He suffered a fatal injury while directly managing restoration efforts in the aftermath of another Russian missile strike.
This is not only a personal tragedy for his family, friends, and colleagues — it’s a national loss. According to Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, head of Ukraine’s national energy company “Ukrenergo,” Brekht’s engineering brilliance was instrumental in preventing the collapse of Ukraine’s power grid under intense attacks since October 2022.
Key contributions of Oleksii Brekht:
- Spearheaded all power restoration operations after Russian attacks across Ukraine.
- Developed dozens of unique technical solutions that enabled rapid recovery of heavily damaged energy infrastructure — including transformers, relay halls, and entire substations.
- Introduced innovations that allowed Ukrenergo to conduct repairs 4–6 times faster than European energy operators.
- Led the design of transformer shelters and underground control centers to protect vital systems.
- Trained crews to safely work with voltages up to 750,000 volts, a level rarely attempted in field conditions.
- His leadership helped Ukrenergo win two Edison Awards, the energy sector’s equivalent of an Oscar.
Despite holding a top executive role, Brekht chose to work directly on-site at damaged facilities. Even while serving as interim head of Ukrenergo, he refused to compromise his principles for career advancement — a rare stand in Ukraine’s political landscape. His absence would have left national energy crisis teams without anyone capable of making expert decisions on rapid power restoration.
He is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, his parents, and a younger brother. Among colleagues, he was known as the “brain of Ukrenergo,” a symbol of the innovative spirit that drew international admiration.
There is growing public demand for the Ukrainian government to honor Oleksii Brekht posthumously. His contributions to Ukraine’s energy resilience are unparalleled. Failing to recognize his service would not only be unjust — it would be a disgrace.
Oleksii Brekht died while trying to bring light back to Ukrainian homes. His memory remains a source of pride and gratitude in a country that owes him so much.