Russia does not want the war to end and is doing everything to ensure it continues, says Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.
Since 2022, Russia has repeatedly attempted to cripple Ukraine’s electricity system hitting it with drones and missiles, aiming to break civilian morale by disrupting power, water, and heating services while simultaneously hampering defense manufacturing capabilities.
According to Kovalenko, Russia has accumulated many missiles of various types, including Kh-101 and Kalibr, as well as ballistic missiles for strikes.
After successful hits on production and storage sites for Shahed drone components, Russia’s number of drones in the air has decreased as it faced a logistical setback. However, the reduction in numbers should not be seen as a sign that Moscow plans to lower its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities—it is still accumulating drones.
Kovalenko emphasizes that the war continues. The Russians are trying to advance toward Pokrovsk and are clinging to islands in Kherson Oblast.
“The enemy does not want the war to end and is doing everything to keep it going,” Kovalenko concluded.
Earlier, CNN reported that Russia was expanding drone production at its factory in Tatarstan, using Chinese components and employing young and low-skilled workers, including Russian teenagers and African women.
According to released documents, the Alabuga factory is now the main producer of Shahed drones, with a contract to produce 6,000 drones by September 2025. CNN believes the factory has already fulfilled this deal.
Read more:
- Russia switches to larger but rarer strikes on Ukraine, UK Intel says
- Ukraine downs 81/94 Russian missiles as Russia targets energy infrastructure, forcing nuclear plants to reduce energy output
- Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv is response to Ukraine’s strike on strategic fuel plant, not to Zelenskyy’s criticism of Putin, analysts say
- Russian missiles target six embassies in Kyiv, says Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry
