Russia plans to cut Ukraine's energy system: what is the goal of the new strikes.

According to ТСН: Russia is taking all possible measures to divide Ukraine's unified energy system into separate segments, aiming to isolate the most vulnerable regions. This is confirmed by a recent airstrike that affected the Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The result was a complete blackout in Dnipro, leaving the regions without heat, light, and water supply.

Experts indicate that Russia has been trying to divide Ukraine's energy system for several years, so its airstrikes are not accidental. The aggressor's goal is to disconnect energy chains between regions, which leads to targeted strikes on energy facilities in the east, north, center, south, and west of the country.

"Short memory" strategy: how Russia is trying to plunge the energy system into collapse

"Russia has been trying to achieve the disconnection of Ukraine's energy system for more than one year. As they say, public opinion has a short memory, because all this has happened before. If we take the example of airstrikes on Odesa, this is something that the Russians attempted to do last year. Now, Russia is again trying to plunge the united energy system of Ukraine into collapse. They have been making efforts since 2022, but at that time, these attempts did not yield the expected results," says Mikhail Gonchar, president of the Strategy XXI Center and energy security expert.

Mikhail Gonchar, president of the Strategy XXI Center and energy security expert.

According to the expert, since autumn last year, the enemy began to secretly destroy energy infrastructure.

Fragmentary strikes and destruction of industrial potential

"Russia's strikes are aimed not only at Ukrenergo substations, but also at generation facilities such as thermal power plants and hydropower plants. The Russians use fragmentary attacks, switching to different regions, including Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia. This fits into their plan to destroy the energy and industrial infrastructure of eastern and southern Ukraine," notes the expert.

He emphasizes that the Russians cannot capture these territories, although attempts have been ongoing since 2022. They have evidently focused on destroying energy, transport, and industrial infrastructure, as these regions are key for exports and the economic life of Ukraine.

By attacking these areas, Russia is likely counting on operational pauses and exhausting Ukraine, as the rapid restoration of damaged facilities will not be an easy task.

Recovery difficulties: situation in Zaporizhia and Dnipro

As of this morning, it is still difficult to talk about the scale of the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities in Zaporizhia and Dnipro. "In Zaporizhia, it has been possible to partially restore electricity, although it is operating under a temporary scheme. The situation in Dnipro remains uncertain," explains Mikhail Gonchar.

He emphasizes that despite all the difficulties, energy workers are gradually managing to restore damaged facilities.

Active defense: why air defense is insufficient and retaliatory strikes are needed

Mikhail Gonchar stresses the need to strengthen air defense to repel enemy attacks. "Additional air defense capabilities are needed, which, evidently, are lacking. We need to deliver tactical strikes on the enemy's infrastructure to exhaust its potential and reduce damage," notes the expert.

He also adds that the activation of Russian strikes is related to the deterioration of weather conditions in Ukraine. "The Russians see meteorological forecasts and adjust their strikes accordingly," says the expert.

"Crocodile method": will the Russian Federation stop shelling after the snowfalls

The specialist doubts that Russia will stop shelling Ukraine's energy system even after weather conditions improve. "With these shellings, one should not relax, because Russia will continue its attack tactics," concludes Mikhail Gonchar.

It should be noted that by attacking the energy infrastructure, Russia is trying to break not only Ukraine's economy but also undermine the moral spirit of citizens. This creates additional challenges for the state, as it is important to maintain stability and rapid recovery of resources under constant attacks.

The situation remains tense, and implementing effective measures to protect energy facilities is critically important. Experts call for the consolidation of efforts in this area to counter the aggressor and ensure the stability of energy supply in the country.