Russia preparing new strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure in winter – UK intelligence
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The latest UK Intelligence report says Russia is likely to launch missile attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the upcoming
In October 2022, the Russian military launched a systematic bombing campaign to disable Ukraine's civilian heating, electricity, and water infrastructure, breaking Ukraine's will to resist and freezing Ukrainians into submission.
Russia mainly used X-101 (AS-23 KODIAK) cruise missiles launched by strategic aviation to attack the infrastructure.
British intelligence, citing open-source data, emphasized that Russia has been spending less on air-launched cruise missiles since April 2023. Russian leaders boost efforts to increase the production of such weapons.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 16 September 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/RCMaSd0fe1
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/BOstAXCzTy
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 16, 2023
Ukraine's President's Office previously reported that Russian X-101 missiles launched on August 15 were produced in April of this year and contained about 30 foreign microchips.
Parts manufactured by American companies are also used to build Russian cruise missiles.
With the start of the winter heating season now just a few months away, Ukrainian officials and energy sector experts are having trouble predicting whether the country is far enough along with infrastructure repairs, gas storage, and other measures to counter the threat of renewed Russian airstrikes on the country's civilian energy infrastructure.
Although Ukraine is better prepared than last year and is buffered by international support, a series of well-aimed Russian strikes could still potentially throw the country into energy disarray once again and cause a humanitarian crisis.
