Russia Vows Major Strikes on Ukrainian Energy Grid

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday morning, Aug. 30, that its forces are preparing to launch “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the ministry justified the planned bombardment as retaliation for Ukraine’s ongoing drone campaign against Russian oil refineries and commercial logistics hubs, which Moscow characterized as attacks on “civilian infrastructure.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The threat comes as Russia grapples with the economic and logistical fallout from an intense wave of Ukrainian deep strikes targeting the country’s wartime economy and fuel production capabilities. Record strikes on refineries and retail logistics According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian forces targeted Russian oil refineries at least 21 times throughout August, setting a record for the highest number of strikes in a single month. The systematic attacks have impacted Russia’s domestic fuel market. The strikes drove refining capacity down to 3.8 million barrels per day – the lowest level in over two decades – and caused a 20% drop in domestic gasoline supplies. In response, the Russian government was forced this week to extend a ban on the export of diesel, marine fuel, and gas oil until Sept. 30 in an effort to mitigate widespread retail shortages. Beyond fuel infrastructure, Ukraine has also increasingly targeted major commercial and military logistics networks deep inside Russian territory. Other Topics of Interest Germany to Blame Russia for Leipzig Drone Attack, Plan Sanctions The German government plans to officially attribute the Aug. 4 attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia and impose new sanctions. Ukrainian strikes have disabled eight of the ten largest warehouses belonging to the e-commerce giant Wildberries since mid-July. Earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated that a single strike on a Wildberries facility caused approximately 1 trillion rubles ($12.5 billion) in direct damage. On Saturday, Ukrainian drones struck large logistics centers operated by the online retailer Ozon and the electronics chain DNS in the Rostov region, prompting local authorities to declare a regional state of emergency due to the resulting supply chain disruptions. 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.