Energy war deepens as Ukraine braces for another hard winter

Ukraine is once again facing a critical phase in its struggle to protect its energy infrastructure from sustained Russian air attacks. After three years of strikes, the Ukrainian power grid has adapted through decentralization, rapid repairs, and mobile backup systems, but the incoming waves of drones and missiles this autumn are testing those defenses to their limits. Russia has sharply increased both missile and drone production, enabling near-daily high-intensity salvos aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses before winter sets in. The goal of these attacks is not only to damage power plants and substations, but to break public morale by disrupting heating, electricity, and essential services during the coldest season. Yet Ukraine continues to resist, improving air defense systems, building protected infrastructure, and constructing large-scale energy storage to buffer the grid. The outcome of this winter’s energy war will shape both civilian resilience and the strategic momentum of the wider conflict.

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