Russia Prepares to Launch New Large-Scale Strikes on Ukraine's Energy Sector, MoD

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have begun preparations for mass strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In a statement released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday, it was announced that, following received directives, the Russian military is preparing to deliver large-scale strikes against energy facilities in Ukraine.

According to the ministry, this is a retaliatory measure in response to continuous attacks by Kyiv targeting Russia's civil infrastructure and fuel-energy complex. Bloomberg reports that in August, Ukrainian defense forces conducted at least 21 attacks on Russian oil refineries—record numbers for a single month.

As a consequence of these attacks, Russia has faced a second wave of fuel shortages. On the night of August 30, Ukrainian defense forces struck the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery in Russia's Leningrad region, one of the largest oil refineries in Russia with a capacity of approximately 20 million tons per year.

On August 26, Russian news agencies reported that Ukraine had taken eight of the top ten warehouses of the Russian retail company Wildberries out of commission since mid-July. In late August, large logistics facilities of the Ozon marketplace were also targeted in these attacks.