Key facts
- Russia has targeted power plants and substations in Kyiv, including Combined Heat and Power Plants 4 and 5, and the Trypillya Thermal Power Plant.
- A leaked Russian assessment outlines a strategy to destroy Ukraine's energy, water, and sewage systems.
- The plan predicts that destroying power generation could lead to blackouts of up to 20 hours a day in Kyiv.
- Ukraine's energy minister confirmed the existence of detailed Russian plans for infrastructure attacks.
- Ukraine's energy minister stated that the country is badly outgunned in defending its energy infrastructure.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's power grid, systematically targeting power plants and substations in Kyiv and other cities this week. These strikes, described as methodical and devastating, aim to degrade the quality of life for Ukrainians and force the country's capitulation. A leaked Russian assessment, intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence and shared with European diplomats, outlines a strategy to cripple energy, heating, and water systems, potentially leading to a humanitarian crisis in cities like Kyiv, which has a population of 3 million.
The assessment, reportedly from Russian military or intelligence agencies, details specific targets and the types and quantities of weapons needed, including ballistic missiles and drones, to destroy key infrastructure. Experts predict that successful attacks could result in blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day. Ukrainian officials have warned that the country is outgunned in defending its energy infrastructure, with dwindling stocks of US-provided missiles. The intensified attacks coincide with political disagreements between Washington and Kyiv.