Russia switches tactics with attacks on Ukrainian power plants
Russia launched a major missile-and-drone assault on Ukrainian power stations, part of a new campaign to exploit delays in Western aid for Kyiv to press Moscow’s growing advantage in the third year of war. The overnight strikes hit several regions across the country, destroying a power plant in the Kyiv region and inflicting fresh damage on others that had been struck in earlier attacks. Tens of thousands of homes were left without power, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for urgent additional aid from the West to combat the strikes. “We need air defense and other defensive support—not ignoring and lengthy discussions," he said Thursday. Zelensky recently warned that Ukraine would run out of air-defense missiles if the current pace and intensity of Russian strikes continues.
Dwindling stockpiles are leading Kyiv to make tough choices about which cities and critical infrastructure to protect, he said, adding that Ukraine would need 25 Patriot air-defense systems to fully shield its territory. Recent attacks hit Ukraine’s biggest hydroelectric power plant and several thermal power plants, underscoring the vulnerability of the country’s energy infrastructure. In striking civilian infrastructure, Russia is seeking to lay the groundwork for future offensives by depleting Ukrainian air defenses and diverting Kyiv’s resources away from the front line, said Franz Stefan-Gady, a Vienna-based defense analyst.
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