Russia Sees Opportunity as Ukraine Faces Fifth Winter of War

Ukraine is entering its fifth winter since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with experts warning this could be the most difficult yet as Russia intensifies attacks on critical infrastructure and major cities like Kyiv and Odesa. Russian forces struck at least ten Ukrainian energy facilities with ballistic missiles overnight Monday, leaving over 500,000 people without power, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Norwegian experts say Russia now has a better opportunity to harm Ukraine than in previous years, citing a combination of ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones that overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. Ukraine faces a critical shortage of air defense systems, partly because the US has depleted missile stockpiles in conflicts elsewhere, while Europe cannot deliver weapons fast enough. Experts note Russia produces more ballistic missiles annually than the West produces Patriot interceptors, and Ukraine must fire three to four Patriots to down a single Russian missile.