Russia begins winter attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine — “If the Russian Federation continues to fire at our infrastructure facilities, it will receive even more ‘booms’ in return,” says official. “‘Blackout’ is not a foreign word” but “a reality on their doorstep.”

4 comments

1. Whether Ukraine can withstand the expected Russian barrage will depend heavily on whether the country has enough air defense systems:^1

   >Ukrainian officials said they still do not have enough, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has made securing more one of his top priorities in meetings with Western leaders, including Thursday at a European leaders summit in Granada, Spain.

   >“The key for us, especially before winter, is to strengthen air defense,” Zelensky wrote on social media. He said that “there is already a basis for new agreements,” but did not offer details.

   >If Ukraine’s critical infrastructure is disabled, Zelensky has vowed to do the same to Russia.

   >If Russians “cut off our power, deprive us of electricity, deprive us of water, deprive us of gasoline,” then they “need to know” that Ukrainians “have the right to do it” to them, the president said in a recent interview with U.S. news program 60 Minutes.

   > 

   >An official at the Security Service of Ukraine provided a video of one [counter] attack and said, “If the Russian Federation continues to fire at our infrastructure facilities, it will receive even more ‘booms’ in return.”

   >“Thanks to another special operation,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, the Russians “are beginning to understand that ‘blackout’ is not a foreign word” but “a reality … on their doorstep.”

   >Kyiv’s first priority is to protect its own energy installations and other infrastructure, such as grain storage facilities, which Moscow has targeted to destroy agricultural exports, a key sector in Ukraine’s economy.

   >But Ukraine’s air defenses, while stronger than last winter, are not strong enough.

   ^1 Kostiantyn Khudov and Serhiy Morgunov contributed to this report by David L. Stern. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/10/winter-ukraine-russia-infrasturcture-attacks/

2. Just do it

3. Yup, make sure the Ruzzians freezze too…Slava Ukraini!!

4. Russia: “*REEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* **RED LINE!!!!!!!** *REEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*”, probably.