Ukraine is facing a long period of rolling blackouts this winter after Russia's "Christmas attack" on the country's energy infrastructure. Ukraine reports at least 70 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones were involved in the onslaught which has left at least 50% of Ukrainians without power (accurate reports on true grid damages are impossible to come by and Ukraine keeps such information censored).
The usefulness of targeting the power grid is undeniable - Any attempt to establish a reliable manufacturing base in western Ukraine to produce armaments will be impossible. Regular scheduled blackouts are now in effect in many parts of Ukraine in order to preserve power resources. Energy Research Center Director Oleksandr Kharchenko says electricity consumption restrictions in Ukraine may remain in effect for another 2-3 years, and that's if the war ends soon.
Another strategic advantage of grid attacks is the use of cold weather conditions to force civilians out of certain energy weak population centers, making it easier to bombard those areas later without producing heavy casualties of non-combatants.
The large scale missile strikes are dominating the news feeds, while Russian advancements on the eastern front are barely reported.
Southwest of the key city of Pokrovsk, Putin's forces are currently surrounding another "linchpin" town called Velyka Novosilka. The area is considered gateway to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region and it's fall would give Russia easier access to central Ukraine due to thinner defensive lines. The town is currently surrounded on at least three sides and experts suggest Ukraine in unlikely to order their troops to retreat due to the importance of the location. Kyiv now fears that the soldiers in the area will soon be encircled.
Velyka Novosilka is vulnerable to Russian attack after Ukraine retreated from Vuhledar, roughly 30 kilometers [18 miles] east of Velyka Novosilka. The Ukrainians originally claimed that Vuhledar was strategically "unimportant", but the loss has proven to be disastrous.
Russian gains are expected to slow as winter weather takes hold, but so far there have been no signs of relent. Velyka Novosilka will fall within weeks, and Pokrovsk is likely to fall within the next couple of months. The capture of these two vital strongholds will give Russia near total control of the Donbas and Eastern Ukraine. It is not known if the Kremlin intends to continue pressing to the west, or if they only plan to take control of the East and annex the region in a settlement with Trump and the US.
A lack of manpower has been blamed for Ukraine's increasing strategic failures.
Donald Trump continues to call for an expedient peace plan which includes Ukraine formally giving up some territory to the Russians. Vladimir Zelensky has recently admitted that it is unlikely that Ukraine will ever be able to gain back the land lost to Russian forces.
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