Russia plans to isolate Ukraine's main cities this winter, Zelenskiy says
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Financial Times that Russia plans to use the winter to cut off Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Lviv from the rest of Ukraine and sever its nuclear power plants from the grid. According to Zelenskiy and a Ukrainian intelligence assessment described to the paper, the goal is to isolate the cities, break morale, sow chaos and push a new wave of refugees into the EU, with Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as the main targets and Lviv also in the plan. First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on September 25 that Ukraine had obtained two Russian planning documents listing power plants, heating, water and sewage systems and the interconnectors with Europe as targets, with tables of the missiles and drones needed to destroy each one.
Why it matters: The reported plan matters for energy security because it targets Ukraine's power generation and nuclear plant connections, with potential consequences for European electricity and refugee politics.