Russia is preparing large-scale attack on energy sector — up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and aerial bombs — NYT
Russia is preparing a new campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s energy and water supply infrastructure, planning to launch up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and aerial bombs.
This is reported in a New York Times article, according to Censor.NET.
Attacks on the energy sector
The publication obtained a document which, according to Ukrainian officials, contains an intercepted Russian plan for large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure this winter.
The latest attack on the energy sector, the article states, marked the beginning of a new campaign aimed at plunging Ukrainian cities into cold and darkness.
"The scale of Russia’s ambition to freeze Ukrainians into submission is evident in a document that the Ukrainian energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, showed to European partners in Paris two weeks ago," The NYT cites two people familiar with his presentation.
Russian plan
The document describes a campaign involving up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and bombs.
"They would target a wide range of facilities, including electrical substations, hydroelectric and thermal power plants, and boiler houses.
Most alarming, the document says that Russia intends to force Ukraine’s three operating nuclear plants — the backbone of its power infrastructure — to shut down by firing missiles at the electrical switchyards that connect them to the grid. The switchyards sit less than a mile from the reactors," the publication states.
The plan also mentions Moscow's intention to attack Ukraine's water supply system—specifically, pumping stations and water treatment plants—with dozens of ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs.
"Russia has never attacked such sites on a large scale before. Ukrainian officials have privately expressed concern that the country has limited backup plans should it face severe water disruptions.
The ultimate goal is to cut off major Ukrainian cities from power, heat and water, which could set off a humanitarian crisis. Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa are highlighted as top targets, with plans to cut electricity supplies in those cities by 90 percent, reduce heating supplies by up to 90 percent and severely disrupt the sewage system," NYT writes.
Russia’s intercepted plan appears designed to "collapse Ukraine’s already weakened grid," journalists believe.
Three stages
"The first would knock out substations near Ukraine’s western borders, which import electricity from Europe.
The second would take out hydroelectric power plants.
The third would force Ukraine’s three operating nuclear plants offline. (A fourth nuclear plant, near the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, was captured by Russian forces early in the war and is not operating.)
The goal of the attacks, the document says, is to eliminate nearly 15 gigawatts of generating capacity — as much as Ukraine had at the end of the summer," the authors concluded.
