The Russian Federation is attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure not with the aim of completely blacking out the country, but to exert psychological pressure on society and spread panic among the population.
This is reported by Finway
The Goal of the Attacks — Destabilization of Society
Acting Minister of Energy Artem Nekrasov emphasized in a comment to Forbes that the main goal of the Russian strikes is to attempt to break the resistance of Ukrainians, divide society, and instill fear. The danger lies not only in power outages but also in disruptions to heating during the cold period. Therefore, the strikes on the energy system aim not so much at technical destruction as at moral pressure on citizens.
“It’s one thing when there is no electricity, and quite another when there is no heating in winter. The goal of this campaign is to try to sow panic, break resistance, and divide society,” Nekrasov noted.
Resilience of the Energy System and Recovery
According to Artem Nekrasov, the loss of the integrity of the energy system could significantly worsen electricity supply in the Left Bank and in some regions of Right Bank Ukraine. This allows Russia to use these consequences to spread destabilizing ideas and increase informational pressure.
At the same time, the acting minister emphasized that a complete blackout is not the enemy’s ultimate goal, as Ukrainian energy workers have already demonstrated their ability to quickly restore the system and reconnect consumers even after massive attacks.
Artem Nekrasov stressed that Russian attacks will remain a constant threat, so energy workers are forming equipment reserves, repairing damaged facilities, and working around the clock to ensure the stable operation of the energy system.
He also noted that if the attacks cease, the stable operation of the energy network without outages could be restored in approximately two months.