NYT: Russia is preparing up to 1 000 missiles, drones and aerial bombs for strikes on Ukraineʼs energy sector this winter

Russia is preparing up to 1 000 missiles, drones and aerial bombs for strikes on Ukraineʼs energy sector this winter. Separate plans include Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.

This is reported by The New York Times (NYT), citing an intercepted Russian document that Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal showed to European partners in Paris.

In particular, the document describes a plan to attack electrical substations, hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, and boiler houses, as well as water and sewage infrastructure. The most dangerous part of the plan is to strike at the distribution nodes of three Ukrainian nuclear power plants in order to disconnect them from the power grid.

The plan involves three stages. First, they are to destroy the substations near the western border, through which Ukraine receives electricity from Europe, then the hydroelectric power plants, and in the third stage, force the three operating nuclear power plants to stop operating.

Separate plans apply to Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. Russia wants to reduce electricity and heat supplies in these cities by up to 90%. Overall, the goal is to disable almost 15 GW of generating capacity. That’s about as much as Ukraine had at the end of the summer.

NYT notes that it has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the document. It is dated August and written in Russian.

At the same time, Putin has already publicly stated his intention to carry out a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy sector this winter, calling it a “response” to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

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