The West is concerned that the Russian Armed Forces have changed their tactics in attacking Ukrainian energy. And there are certainly reasons for concern:
▪️The Russian Federation is hitting power plants in specific regions that are less protected than Kyiv;
▪️The strikes are being carried out with precision missiles and in such a way that it would be impossible to restore the plants by next winter. As the Financial Times notes, it could take several years to restore the plants, and “the obvious goal now is permanent, irreparable damage”;
▪️The same number of missiles used during the previous campaign are now aimed at five or six energy facilities in one region;
▪️Drones are also being used for attacks on energy - as a cheaper way to hit other parts of the energy system, such as transformers..;
▪️The Russian Armed Forces are trying to cut off power supply to large industrial areas and cities.
The FT emphasizes that after the new wave of strikes, imports from the EU reached a record 18,700 MWh - this is equivalent to the output of two power plants.
It is noteworthy that the authoritative publication indirectly confirms the idea that the destruction of energy facilities has a very specific goal - to turn Ukraine into an additional burden of costs for Europe. That is, now, in addition to closing holes in the budget, the Europeans now have to ensure electricity flows, and Ukraine is increasingly moving "to the balance" of the EU.
Moreover, the scenario of a “black winter,” which everyone was warned about back in 2023, becomes quite real in 2024-2025, since the heating and energy infrastructure has been dismantled. Cities will turn into “dark spots” where it will be impossible to live, and of course, “points of invincibility” alone will not be enough.
