President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv will carry out preemptive strikes on Russian war production facilities in his evening address on Wednesday, as Kyiv expands strikes on energy infrastructure in an attempt to force Moscow into talks.
“I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort,” Zelenskyy said.
Finnish artillery units fire Howitzers At Rovajärvi exercise area In northern Finland. Image Credit: NATO.
The attacks, which have been very effective at hammering the Russian oil and gas industries, have included a large refinery in Moscow that reportedly will be out of operation for six months. But Zelenskyy’s wording, at least outwardly, seemed a bit curious.
What Did Zelenskyy Mean By “Preemptive Strikes”?
Calling further drone strikes preemptive after your country has been invaded for four and a half years seems odd. What is Ukraine trying to preempt here?
Russian forces have been attempting to take the country since early 2022. So, the strikes wouldn’t stop them from invading, because the russian military, along with North Korean troops, has already been attacking.
Unless Ukraine has caught wind of a new Russian effort or an expansion of their attacks in the works.
Major Ukrainian Attack in Sevastopol Knocks Out Power
On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, as a fuel crisis deepened with Kyiv continuing to strike refineries and energy assets.
Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said that some areas of the city would be left without power until Wednesday evening. Power was restored to the city in the early hours of Thursday morning, but the power grid remains strained.
“We will not be intimidated by the lack of light. We have gone through more than that, and we will survive now,” Razvozhayev said in a post on the Telegram app.
“The enemy is again striking vilely, trying to deprive us of our usual living conditions and sow panic.”
Finnish artillery units fire Howitzers At Rovajärvi exercise area In northern Finland. Image Credit: NATO Flickr.
Razvozhaev announced early in the morning on June 25 that the city had imposed a “temporary power restriction regime.” Outages would be carried out “selectively and as needed,” he said, adding that no precise hourly schedule had been set.
Russian-installed officials had to institute temporary electricity restrictions and requested that residents avoid using high-powered appliances to prevent another failure across the broader power grid.
Ukraine Has Also Targeted Russian Installations Across Crimea
The Sevastopol blackout was one element of a broader Ukrainian offensive that struck numerous Russian military and logistical sites across occupied Crimea.
Targets included the Balaklava Thermal Power Plant, military warehouses in Bakhchysarai, and facilities in Kerch and Simferopol.
Ukrainian forces coordinated these operations through the Unmanned Systems Forces and the Deep Strike Center, aiming to weaken Russia’s infrastructure and supply capabilities.
The Ukrainians also unleashed a deep strike mission against the Orenburg gas and helium plant, which is located more than 1,200 kms from the frontlines.
The Orenburg plant produces more than 45 billion cubic meters of gas annually and supplies explosives and black powder.
It is also the smallest of Russia’s helium plants, but it remains an important piece vital to Moscow’s liquid-fuel rocket engines and guidance systems.
The strike damaged the Vladimir Space Communications Center, affecting satellite coordination and military communications.
The extent of any damage has not been confirmed, but is likely to be of “some consequence” to Russia’s energy markets, according to energy insiders.
Russia faces a deepening gas and oil crisis, with gasoline output down 25 percent, exports halted, and fuel rationing spreading, prompting import talks with Kazakhstan, especially in Crimea, where gasoline sales to the public have been suspended.
This talk of importing gas would have been unthinkable a year ago.
Ukraine’s drone attacks have been so successful that Russian frontline air defenses are being redeployed to protect Moscow and other large cities from further strikes.
This development is significant because it takes away much-needed air defenses from Moscow’s attacks in the Donbas Oblast.
And despite overly optimistic pronouncements by the Russian Defense Ministry and Putin, it is still very much in doubt whether it will succeed.
The Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) posted in their June 23rd update on the Russian invasion that, “Russian gains in Kostyantynivka remain limited to small group infiltrations that are not resulting in consolidated territorial control.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on June 23 that Russian forces are advancing in all areas of the frontline and that Russian forces are “practically reaching” Kostyantynivka.”
The ISW added, “Ukraine’s tactical situation in Kostyantynivka is deteriorating, but the Russian MoD and Putin are falsely framing the seizure of Kostyantynivka as imminent.”
These attacks are designed to force Putin to the negotiating table, where it is hoped that Kyiv can get a peace deal worthy of the current situation.
However, currently, his response has been further attacks on Ukraine’s civilians, with massive attacks reported in Kyiv.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
