Russia May Target Water Supply This Winter, Kyiv Warns

Russia could shift its winter campaign from attacking Ukraine’s power grid to targeting water infrastructure, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal warned, saying civilians would struggle to survive prolonged disruptions to water and sewage services. Speaking to Politico in an interview published on Tuesday, Shmyhal said Moscow’s strategy is aimed at breaking Ukraine’s resilience by crippling critical infrastructure.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Russia’s goal now is to destroy our water supplies,” Shmyhal said. “Last winter they targeted electricity and heating, but you could still survive if you had gas and water during electricity shutdowns.” “It is difficult to survive for more than three days without water and sewage,” he added. Ukraine preparing for another winter campaign Shmyhal said Ukraine hopes its long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries and tougher Western sanctions will pressure Moscow into ending the war this autumn. However, he warned Kyiv is preparing for another winter of large-scale attacks on critical infrastructure if the fighting continues. According to the minister, Ukraine is constructing protective shelters for electricity, water, and gas facilities while expanding the use of modular boilers and power generators that are harder for Russia to destroy than large centralized plants. “Ukraine has acquired the ability to adapt very quickly to crises, to challenges,” Shmyhal said. More Patriot missiles needed The minister also stressed that Ukraine urgently needs additional PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks. Other Topics of Interest Kyiv Under Air Raid Alert as Russian Drones Threaten Capital, Regions Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several regions overnight as authorities warned of approaching Russian attack drones and urged residents to shelter. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said Ukraine aims to secure around 300 Patriot interceptors, while Kyiv and its allies continue urging countries including Spain and Greece to provide additional missiles. Shmyhal also called for more international financial support, saying Ukraine needs another €500 million ($575 million) before winter to strengthen energy resilience and €400 million ($460 million) to help state energy company Naftogaz recover from Russian strikes. Energy system remains under pressure According to Shmyhal, Russia has damaged or destroyed more than 80% of Ukraine’s electricity generation capacity since launching its full-scale invasion. Ukraine generated 54.5 gigawatts of electricity before 2014, but available capacity has fallen sharply following the occupation of Crimea, the seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and repeated Russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure. Despite the damage, Shmyhal expressed confidence Ukraine would withstand another winter if additional military and financial assistance arrives in time. “He will bleed, but he will drag us into the winter,” Shmyhal said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This is a pessimistic scenario, but my optimism is that we will survive this winter; we are ready for it.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.