Russia Plans to Cut 90% of Power, Heat and Water in Ukraine’s Biggest Cities

Russia is planning a campaign of strikes aimed at cutting electricity, heating, and water supplies to Ukraine’s largest cities this winter, according to a document Ukrainian officials presented to European partners, The New York Times reported. The ultimate goal is to cut off electricity, heat, and water to major Ukrainian cities, which could lead to a humanitarian crisis. Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa have been identified as the main targets.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The plan is to cut electricity supplies to these cities by 90 percent, reduce heating supplies by 90 percent, and severely disrupt the operation of the sewer system. The newspaper said it obtained a copy of the Russian-language document, dated August. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal presented the document to European partners in Paris two weeks earlier, describing it as an intercepted Russian plan, according to two people familiar with his presentation. It outlines a campaign involving up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and bombs against electrical substations, hydroelectric and thermal power plants, and boiler houses. The reported strategy raises concerns about simultaneous failures of essential services as temperatures fall. Alongside attacks on power generation, the document describes strikes on pumping stations and water treatment facilities using dozens of ballistic missiles and glide bombs. Ukrainian officials expressed concern about limited backup arrangements for severe interruptions to water supplies, according to the report. Other Topics of Interest Kyiv Grinds to a Halt as Russian Strikes Shut Bridges, Force People to Walk Dozens of passengers were left waiting at bus stops, while public transport services operated with significant delays, according to Kyiv Post correspondents, based in the capital. One of the document’s most consequential proposals involves forcing Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants to shut down by striking the electrical substations connecting them to the national grid. Those substations are located less than a mile from the reactors, the newspaper reported. The described targets are the plants’ grid connections, rather than the reactors themselves. The warning comes as Russia renews attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of the heating season. A large missile-and-drone barrage this week killed civilians and caused widespread power outages, with Ukrainian officials identifying energy facilities as principal targets. The New York Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had publicly pledged a major campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this winter, presenting it as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The campaign is expected to peak in November, according to the report published on Tuesday in The Economist. The publication also described the offensive as an effort to cripple the Ukrainian capital before winter arrives. Russia intensified attacks on Kyiv’s civilian infrastructure in August and September, according to the report. 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.