Russia destroys infrastructure and plays lies: a new strategy to pressure Kyiv
2 April 2025 11:58
ANALYSIS
A Russian attack on a power facility in Kherson left 45,000 residents without electricity. Residential buildings, civilian cars and electric vehicles were targeted. There are casualties. Ukraine is already preparing evidence to hand over to the United States, and military analysts are warning: The Kremlin is not only attacking critical infrastructure, but also manipulating agreements to put pressure on Kyiv and its partners. What are Russia’s goals? Why are energy strikes becoming a key blackmail tool? And how can the West respond? Read the article by
Russia continues to disregard the agreements on the so-called “energy truce”. On the morning of April 1, the occupiers struck again at a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 residents without electricity. Parts of the Central and Korabelny districts were left without electricity.
In addition, Antonovka, Komyshany and Blagoveshchenskoye were shelled. Residential buildings and civilian cars were damaged. Three civilians were wounded, two of them in serious condition. Due to the partial power outage, electric transport in Kherson temporarily stopped working.
During a press conference in Paris, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was preparing all the evidence of Russian attacks on energy facilities. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov received a corresponding order, and all materials will be transferred to the United States.
“We expect a response from our partners, because they have clearly stated their readiness to respond to any violations,”
– Zelensky emphasized.
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According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, back in 2023, the Russians identified energy facilities as priority targets for attacks by drones and missiles.
“The enemy is trying to destroy critical infrastructure through targeted strikes. Especially powerful attacks were recorded in Kharkiv region, where the occupants tried to leave the city without heat,”
– explained Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
Russia’s strategic goal is pressure through manipulation
Russia continues to use manipulative tactics in its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Military expert Dmytro Snegirev in an exclusive commentary
“In my opinion, the discrepancies in the lists arose precisely because Russia reserves the possibility of maneuvering at the moment of accusing the Ukrainian side, using only its own list as evidence. However, the issue is that the previous meetings were purely technical, and it is within the framework of technical meetings that the positions of both sides of the war should have been coordinated. However, the Russians are now appealing to their list and, based on this, will continue to push the issue of Ukraine’s violation of the agreements.”
Dmytro Snegiryov
Russia’s ultimate goal is to force Ukraine and its allies to make concessions, Snegiryov said.
“The main goal of this tactic is to force the Ukrainian and American sides to recognize that they have not fulfilled their previous commitments. And, using only informational narratives, to raise their own demands for the lifting of sanctions in the energy policy sphere. For example, in order to stop their own attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, they will demand significant economic, political and territorial concessions from our country.”
Dmytro Snegiryov
Distraction through information manipulation
The Russian side is trying to create an alternative information agenda, says Snegiryov. It is noteworthy that against the backdrop of constant attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry once again accused the Ukrainian Defense Forces of two attacks on energy facilities in Russia on March 31. The Ukrainian military allegedly attacked a complex transformer substation in Belgorod region and a power substation in Novohirivka in the temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia region with a drone.
Snegiryov emphasized that such statements are a classic example of information manipulation:
“All these ‘strikes’ on Russian energy facilities are what is called in the language of professionals as a distraction to an unworthy object. The goal is to create additional information and divert attention from the main goals. The whole situation is being used by the Russians solely to create a certain information background that supports their demands and increases pressure in the negotiations.”
Dmytro Snegirev
Thus, the Kremlin continues to wage an information war, using the shelling of critical infrastructure as a lever of influence on international negotiations, the expert summarizes.
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