Energy Infrastructure Attacks Have Inflicted Pain on Both Russia and Ukraine
Russia has said it would agree to a limited cease-fire that would stop attacks on energy infrastructure, a proposal Kyiv has signaled it is open to but has yet to officially approve.An agreement would be the first significant step toward de-escalation since the start of the full-scale war more than three years ago.On Wednesday, Ukraine and Russia traded accusations of attacks against each others’ energy infrastructure, a day after the proposed agreement was reported, highlighting the lack of trust between the two countries and how tenuous any deal would be.Strikes against energy facilities have been a key part of both countries’ efforts to weaken the other.
Russia has launched repeated attacks on Ukraine’s power grid to undermine its war effort by making life as difficult as possible for civilians, experts say.For Ukraine, strikes on Russian facilities are aimed at cutting the revenues of Russia’s sprawling oil industry, which have been used to fund the country’s military.The Strategy Behind the AttacksRussia began attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in October 2022 after it became clear that its initial plan to achieve a swift victory had failed.
Moscow opted for a war of attrition in which Ukraine’s energy infrastructure became a key target.Ukraine began repeatedly targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure in early 2024to try to inflict pain on the heart of the Russian economy — its oil and gas industry — and to limit the supply of fuel to its military.Kyiv’s aim appeared to be twofold, experts say: to reduce Russia’s oil revenues, which are used to fund its military, and to produce a psychological effect by causing large-scale fires at critical infrastructure facilities.Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been a key part of Moscow’s effort to bring the country to its knees.
The goal, energy experts say, has been to choke off the energy resources that fuel Ukraine’s economy and ultimately its war effort.Bu...