Russia’s intensified winter attacks threaten Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and morale

With winter fast approaching, Russia is intensifying its campaign against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, deploying larger numbers of missiles and more capable drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj announced that Vladimir Putin has introduced a new military doctrine aimed at escalating attacks on power, transport and other critical systems before the cold season. Experts such as Palle Ydstebø of the Norwegian War College note that Russia now fields better weapons, while Ukraine lacks sufficient air-defence missiles against ballistic threats and effective counter-measures for jet-driven drones.

Recent strikes have repeatedly targeted Kyiv’s main bridge, and analysts warn that further disruption of rail and road networks could impair Ukraine’s ground operations. International-law scholars point out that attacks on purely civilian infrastructure are prohibited, though targeting dual-use facilities remains legally contentious. Carnegie researcher Dara Massicot observes that the Kremlin appears to have political backing for a harsher winter strategy, aiming to inflict civilian fear as an operational goal. Ydstebø adds that acquiring modern Patriot systems and anti-drone tools would be crucial for Ukraine to survive the upcoming winter.