Tuesday, February 17, 2026-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sounded the alarm over impending large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, warning that Moscow’s forces are preparing coordinated strikes aimed at crippling the country’s power grid and critical facilities.
Intelligence assessments cited by Zelensky indicate that these planned assaults could come in the coming days, combining both missiles and attack drones designed to overwhelm air defenses and inflict maximum disruption across multiple regions. In response, Kyiv has ordered its air defense systems to be fully readied and called on international partners to accelerate delivery of additional defensive capabilities to help protect cities and critical networks.
The urgency of the threat was underscored as Russia’s campaign of targeting energy infrastructure has already caused widespread power outages, damaged facilities, and disrupted heating services amid Ukraine’s harsh winter conditions, complicating everyday life for civilians in affected areas.
Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that any delay in reinforcing air defenses or supplying missiles would only increase the scale of damage from these attacks, urging allies to fast‑track support pledged at recent security forums. Officials in Kyiv are particularly focused on ensuring that defenses are configured correctly and ready to respond to evolving Russian tactics.
The warnings come against the backdrop of peace negotiations in Geneva involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States, where diplomatic efforts have struggled to produce a ceasefire. Zelensky has framed the threat of looming strikes as not just a military issue but a direct challenge to diplomatic progress, arguing that sustained Russian aggression on critical infrastructure undermines opportunities for negotiation. As air defenses are bolstered and readiness measures intensified, Ukraine braces for what could be one of the most damaging phases of Russia’s long‑running offensive against its energy network.
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