Russia shifts approach to hitting Ukraine's power system: What it means
Photo: Russians have changed the logic of attacks on Ukraine's energy sector (Getty Images)
During the night attack on January 7, the Russians changed their approach to strikes on Ukraine's energy system and once again attempted to complicate the transmission of electricity from the western part of the country to the east. This was reported to RBC by experts in the energy sector.
"This fully fits the logic of what they were doing before August 2025, when they were trying to cause a nationwide blackout. But after that, all their strike 'waves' were focused on specific regions (Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih/Dnipro). So this attack looks a bit unusual," said Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center.
The expert noted that today’s attack targeted the high-voltage network with the aim of damaging the connections between the west and east and disrupting imports, as well as thermal power generation outside populated areas.
Volodymyr Omelchenko, director of energy programs at the Razumkov Center, also believes that the Russians have returned to the tactic of dividing Ukraine’s energy system into two parts.
"Our main generation is on the right bank. On the left bank, there is almost no generation left. So their strategy is to cut off the supply of electricity from the western part, where there is a surplus, to the east and central regions, where there is a deficit," the expert said.
Hennadiy Ryabtsev, chief research fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, is convinced that the attacks are aimed at reducing the energy supply capacity in the left-bank part of Ukraine.
"The strike was carried out on two main types of targets – substations that draw power from nuclear power plants and the Burshtyn energy hub. These are precisely what allows electricity to be transmitted from the west to the east. On the left bank, the situation is poor – consumption is high, and generation is low. So the Russians are now trying to deprive industrial facilities on the left bank of the Dnipro of power," he said.
Attack on Ukraine’s energy sector on February 7
It should be recalled that on the night of February 7, Russia carried out another combined attack on Ukraine, using strategic aviation, cruise missiles, and attack drones. In several regions, destruction was reported, people were injured, and large-scale emergency power outages occurred.
Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine with more than 400 drones and nearly 40 missiles of various types. The main targets were the energy grid, generation facilities, and distribution substations.
Primarily, the western regions were affected. Missiles were recorded at least in Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv regions.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Russian forces carried out a massive attack on key energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. Transmission substations, power lines, and thermal power plants were hit. Ukraine requested emergency assistance from Poland.
More details on the consequences of the night attack by the Russians can be found in the RBC report.
