Zelensky Tells Ukrainians To Brace for Putin’s Winter Onslaught
On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukrainians to prepare for a Russian onslaught from the east this winter.
The president said that the Ukrainians might experience similar aggression from Russia that they endured the year before.
In 2022, the Russian forces damaged Ukraine’s energy system by attacking multiple power stations and plants. These offensives caused a blackout that widely impacted different regions.
“We are almost halfway through November, and we must be prepared for the possibility that the enemy may increase the number of drone or missile strikes against our infrastructure. Russia is preparing for winter,” the Ukrainian president said on Sunday.
He added, “And in Ukraine, all our attention should be focused on defense, on response to terrorists, on everything Ukraine can do to make it easier for our people to get through this winter and to increase the capabilities of our troops.”
The Ukrainian Defence Military’s intelligence department said that Russian invaders killed at least three service members in the southern, Russian-occupied town of Melitopol. Speaking on the Telegram app, Ukraine’s intelligence service called the attack by local resistance forces an “act of revenge.”
“This act of revenge, carried out by representatives of the local resistance movement, took place in the (post) offices seized by the Russians,” they said. However, SwishNews could not independently fact-check the intelligence department’s claim.
Russian officials didn’t comment on these alleged losses.
Defending Energy
On Sunday, Ukraine’s Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, said Ukraine could get through winter with existing energy supplies. However, he said, “The question is how much future attacks can affect supplies.”
And, despite Zelensky’s recent warnings, Ukrainian officials reported last Wednesday that Russia had struck over 60 infrastructure targets in recent weeks. These attacks could show that Russia has already started its winter onslaught.
A 2024 Stalemate?
With perhaps a few weeks before weather slows Ukraine’s defense, Dr Patrick Bury, former British Army captain and Nato analyst, said: “There hasn’t been a breakthrough, there’s been tactical gains, low-level operational gains – but not strategic.”
“What this summer has shown is that [Ukraine] can fight at company level [of around 100 soldiers], but when you go the next level up to the battalion, they just don’t really have the coordinated experience to fight with all the moving parts”, said Dr Bury, from the University of Bath.
He added, “Unless there’s significant widespread packages of training, new weapons, and equipment,” “it’s looking like 2024 is a bit of a stalemate.”
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