Russia's strikes on Ukraine's power grid signal shift from military victory to punishing civilians

Russia has intensified missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's power plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv this week, causing rolling blackouts and water outages, according to a Guardian report. The attacks align with an intercepted Russian blueprint to make life unliveable in major Ukrainian cities, despite a US-declared "energy ceasefire." The strikes target Kyiv's energy infrastructure, including thermal power plants and substations, aiming to degrade quality of life and force residents to flee. Ukrainian intelligence intercepted the plan last month, which specifies weapons needed to destroy over 90% of Kyiv's winter power supply, potentially causing blackouts up to 20 hours daily. The campaign reflects Russia's shift from seeking military victory to punishing civilian populations, as frontlines remain frozen. Ukraine faces dwindling air defense stocks, and experts warn of a potential political crisis if winter conditions worsen, with protests already planned over power outages.