The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly shifting toward a battle over energy infrastructure, with both Moscow and Kyiv stepping up attacks on facilities critical to each side’s economy and military operations.
Russia has warned that it is preparing large-scale strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, describing the planned attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities.
The warning came as Ukraine continued to recover from a devastating Russian strike near Kyiv that reportedly killed 38 people and damaged dozens of buildings.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its armed forces had begun preparations for what it described as “massive strikes” on Ukrainian energy facilities.
The development has raised concerns that Ukraine could again face severe disruptions to electricity, heating and other essential services, particularly as Russia renews its campaign against the country’s energy network.
The latest escalation comes amid increasingly frequent long-range attacks by both sides. Russia has targeted Ukrainian warehouses, ports, industrial facilities and energy installations, while Ukraine has expanded its drone campaign against Russian oil refineries, storage facilities and other energy infrastructure.
In one of the latest Ukrainian attacks, drones reportedly struck the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, triggering a fire.
The facility is one of Russia’s largest oil-processing plants, with an annual crude processing capacity of about 20 million tonnes and a major role in the production of fuels including diesel and jet fuel.
Kyiv has increasingly focused on Russia’s energy sector, arguing that attacks on refineries, pumping stations and fuel storage facilities can weaken Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its military campaign.
Meanwhile, the human cost of the latest Russian bombardment remained severe.
A strike on an ammunition depot near the Ukrainian capital caused a massive explosion and secondary blasts, sending flames into nearby residential areas and damaging about 50 buildings.
More than 380 residents were reportedly evacuated, while Taras Didych, mayor of the nearby village of Dmytrivka, was among those killed.
Ukrainian prosecutors have opened an investigation into possible negligence over the storage of explosives close to residential communities.
The incident followed three consecutive days of intense Russian aerial attacks. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 130 drones during the latest wave.
Russia also claimed to have struck a cement and asbestos plant in Kyiv, alleging that its warehouses were being used to store explosives, as well as a facility involved in drone and munitions production.
With both countries now increasingly targeting energy and industrial infrastructure deep behind the front lines, the latest escalation underscores how the conflict continues to expand beyond conventional battlefield positions.
The renewed attacks also raise fresh concerns for civilians as Russia signals another major assault on Ukraine’s energy system and Kyiv continues its campaign against Russia’s fuel and energy infrastructure.
More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the intensifying strikes suggest that the conflict remains deeply entrenched, with neither side showing clear signs of abandoning its long-range military strategy.
