How Russia's new tactics pose new winter threat to Ukraine

"The Russian drone strike was surgically precise and destroyed a giant transformer at a key power station in the Ukrainian capital. There's nothing left to repair, Mykola Svyrydenko, who lives close to Thermal Station 5, a sprawling, Soviet-era structure with two giant steam pipes that provides electricity and heat to hundreds of thousands of Kyiv's residents, told Al Jazeera. He saw the predawn attack on October 10 that caused several blasts and a giant fire at the power station."

"Since the winter of 2022, Russia has tried to hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving the country scrambling to provide power to its homes and industries in subzero temperatures. Although it has survived those assaults, the recent attack on the Kyiv station represents a new phase in Russia's campaign to ruin Ukrainian power, transmission and heating stations, as well as natural gas mines, pipelines and underground reservoirs."

Modified Russian drones are increasingly penetrating Ukrainian air defenses and striking energy infrastructure vital for electricity and heating. A precise strike destroyed a giant transformer at Thermal Station 5 in Kyiv, causing blasts and a large fire and leaving the facility beyond repair. The October 10 attack involved 465 drones and 32 missiles and left much of Kyiv without power or running water for most of the day. Residents relied on petrol or diesel generators and exhausted power banks while a Kyiv subway line halted for several hours. The campaign has shifted toward targeting power stations, transmission and heating networks, and gas facilities, threatening winter resilience.

Read at www.aljazeera.com