Ukraine is preparing for winter, which could become the most difficult since the start of the full-scale war due to the threat of new massive Russian strikes on energy and heating infrastructure. Russia has recently reduced the use of ballistic missiles, which may indicate their accumulation before the cold period, Bloomberg reports.
Concerns intensified after last winter, when prolonged frosts and Russian strikes led to multi-day power outages, heating disruptions, and water supply shortages in major cities. In Kyiv, temperatures dropped below -20°C, and some residents of Troieshchyna were left without central heating.
Against the backdrop of expected attacks, Ukrainians are already preparing backup options. Some people are moving to houses with autonomous heating, buying generators, warm clothes, and firewood. According to one of Bloomberg's sources, firewood prices have risen approximately 70-80% over the year.
Shortage of Patriot Missiles
The main problem remains the shortage of air defense systems, particularly interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, necessary for combating Russian ballistic weapons.
Since August, Russia has significantly reduced the use of ballistic missiles in favor of reactive drones. Bloomberg notes that this may indicate the accumulation of missiles for strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and heating systems during the cold period, which typically begins in late October or early November.
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that Ukraine needs at least 300 Patriot interceptor missiles to get through the winter. European allies plan to raise the issue of additional supplies during meetings in New York this week.
What the Government is Doing
The Ukrainian government is meanwhile preparing for the worst-case scenario. The authorities plan to expand the network of "Points of Unbreakability," and European partners are providing spare parts for power plants and equipment for heating systems.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine's energy infrastructure is now better protected from Russian strikes than before. At the same time, Kyiv's allies fear that Russia will try to use winter attacks on critical infrastructure to increase pressure on Ukraine.
The key question for the coming weeks is whether partners will manage to deliver a sufficient number of Patriot missiles before the ballistic missiles accumulated by Russia are deployed along with the first frosts.
