On the evening of October 10, the Ukrainian Air Force gave a series of numbers to the eye: 465 drones of all kinds, as well as “crossheaded” high-speed missiles, Iskander ballistic and cruise missiles, Kh-59/69 airborne missiles, wave after wave. The target was directed at heat stations, hydroelectric stations and key power stations. From Kiev to Donetsk, from Kharkov to Odessa, a large region had stopped electricity. On Ukraine’s own social platform, fragmented information sprinkled a map: at least eight fuel plants, five hydroelectric stations were hit.
Even Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko no longer insisted on it. He admitted that at least half of the Urban area was in darkness and the water supply was affected. Fire trucks honked all the way, and emergency repair trucks shuttled through various substations. The street dialogue is straightforward. Some people laughed at themselves that air defense had destroyed everything again, and we went our separate ways. Some people sighed. Thanks to the six power charging treasures in their hands, they had to buy a few more. The mixture of absurdity and helplessness has become the background of this city.
This attack is no longer "harassing and running" like in the early years. The Russian army is more ruthless in selecting points and its intention to pull the brake is clearer. The power system is not an isolated island. Once electricity is cut off, the water plant will shut down, and the communication base station will be supported by oil engines, and the rhythm of the city will be completely chaotic. Children's online classes are gone, the elderly climb stairs, and the hospital uses electricity cautiously with diesel generators on. Darkness itself is not fatal, but panic in the darkness will spread and the will be worn through bit by bit.
In the past, drones were more like showing their range. Now, it has gone from "flying" to "hitting accurately". The key nodes were perforated everywhere, and the subsequent firepower was "replenished". From attacking the city to suppressing it, what you win is not the land, but the social endurance of the other party. There is also a layer of reality behind this: Ukraine emphasizes a high proportion of interceptions every time, but the result of a power outage is in front of us. There must be interceptions, but the part that can't be stopped is enough to stall the city.
The outside world is staring at a more sensitive question: whether this is a prelude to a general offensive. An analysis by the US magazine "Foreign Affairs" gave a judgment that the Russian army replenished its troops on the eastern front and launched small-scale tests, particularly active in the direction of Kharkiv and Donetsk. The artillery fire is denser, the reconnaissance is more frequent, and the ground tentacles are stretched out little by little. Winter is approaching, and the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield has always regarded cold winter as a window for attack and defense. The power system has been hammered and social momentum has been tightened, which may pave the way for ground propulsion.
The Russian side on foreign relations released some mitigation signals, public opinion interpreted as "low-headed understanding" for Azerbaijan. on the US, on the NATO side, the claim of restraint is also spread, but the small moves in the air and the sea direction have not stopped, as in continuously testing the boundaries, to clear the bottom line of each other. Inside the front, the news about North Korea provides personnel and military aid continues to ferment, in recent times there has been Cuba's support claims, coupled with the signs of domestic expansion and logistics code, these together, at least indicate the reserves are growing.
Uzbekistan's "high-proportion interception" narrative and the gap between life on the ground are eroding trust. How to disclose information and how to make public expectations closer to reality is also part of governance. For Russia, the cost of continuing to place civilian infrastructure under firepower coverage is not light. Tactical effectiveness and moral pressure always have to be settled at both ends.
The air strikes continue to look at the nodes of power station and railway traction, whether bridges and assembly stations are added; whether more intensive armor and labor force cooperation appears along the east line; whether the departure of tactical drones is switched from "harassment" to "accompanying"; whether there is abnormal transportation of the rear mobilization and oil bullets; whether the Ukrainian side has issued a local evacuation notice; whether the West has temporarily opened emergency aid channels for air defense and power grid equipment.
Energy war will not immediately determine the territory, but it is enough to change the will. Whoever can turn the lights on again in the cold winter will take the initiative in this tug-of-war. For Ukraine, there are endless power stations and days to continue; For Russia, it is a trade-off between destroying the social kinetic energy of its opponents and bearing external pressure. The war is still moving to the next scene. The darkness and coldness on the streets have already told us that the cost will be higher and the time will be longer.