A critical element of Russia’s strategy against Ukraine is its systematic effort to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. By bombing Ukraine’s power grid, Moscow aims to disrupt the Ukrainian war effort, cripple the Ukrainian economy, and demoralize Ukrainians. The country is currently braced for widespread blackouts during the coming winter months. Since March 2024, Russia has
The Financial Times has this week reported that Ukraine and Russia are engaged in preliminary talks over a possible mutual pause in air strikes against energy infrastructure. The news has sparked a degree of guarded optimism, with some speculating that a limited agreement protecting energy assets in both countries could pave the way for broader
With international attention firmly fixed on the Russian army’s advances in eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s Kursk region, it is easy to overlook important developments taking place further south in Crimea. During 2024, Ukraine has achieved a number of strategic successes in and around the Russian-occupied peninsula that are worthy of closer
Ukraine conducted one of the largest and most effective drone attacks of the entire war in the early hours of September 18, causing a blast at a weapons depot deep inside Russia that was large enough to be picked up by earthquake monitoring stations. According to Ukrainian sources, the attack involved more than one hundred
The United States has recently detected indications of increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables, CNN reports. The news is adding to existing concerns over the vulnerability of critical undersea communications infrastructure at a time when the Kremlin is accused of waging an escalating hybrid war against the West in parallel to its ongoing
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has evolved into the largest European war since World War II, but two and a half years on, many are still struggling to grasp exactly what is at stake. Instead, we continue to hear calls for some kind of compromise with the Kremlin, while the international community refuses to hold
Kyiv has this week called on Belarus to withdraw its army from the Ukrainian border and warned of “tragic consequences” if the Belarusian military joins the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The strongly worded August 25 statement from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs came in response to mounting reports of Belarusian troops concentrating close to the
Ukraine’s long-range drone bombing campaign targeting military and industrial sites inside Russia has had a dramatic series of successes over the last few weeks. The most eye-catching achievement was the attack on Russia’s Morozovsk airbase, which Ukrainian officials claim damaged Russian jets and destroyed stockpiles of munitions including glide bombs used to pummel Ukraine’s military
The recent appearance of F-16 fighter jets in the skies above Ukraine is a victory for all Ukrainians, and particularly for the relatively small group of people who worked tirelessly to promote the idea of delivering the planes. The push to secure F-16s began as a grassroots effort initiated by Ukrainian civil society and the
Russian bombing of Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure has forced millions of Ukrainians to spent the summer months adjusting to rolling power blackouts, with record high temperatures adding to the practical challenges of living without electricity. The Ukrainian response to this latest episode of wartime adversity has been marked by typical grit, resourcefulness, and good humor.
