The Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) and President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on January 17 that Moscow was considering attacks on power transmission substations that are vital for the functioning of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. The information was cited by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and reported by News.bg.
Such strikes would have severe consequences for the civilian population, who risk being left without electricity and heating. Recent Russian attacks have already put nuclear facilities controlled by Ukraine at risk. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, reported on January 16 that military action in the past week has damaged an electrical substation that is key to the operation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
According to Grossi, IAEA experts have recorded military activity around all five nuclear facilities in Ukraine in recent days.
At the same time, Zelensky said that during the winter period the country needs approximately 18 gigawatts of electricity to cover domestic consumption, while the current production capacity reaches only 11 gigawatts. If the Russian strikes lead to the disconnection of one or more nuclear plants from the grid, this shortage could worsen significantly.
The warnings come against the backdrop of an ongoing Russian campaign of long-term strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which has already caused large-scale power outages. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that on the night of January 17-18, Russia launched 201 drones of various types, including 120 “Shahed”, from several directions – including Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from occupied areas in Crimea and Donetsk.
According to Ukrainian officials, 30 of the drones hit 15 different targets, including critical infrastructure sites in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Odessa regions.
Energy Minister Denys Shmygal said on January 16 that since February 2022, Russian forces have struck every power plant in the country, bringing the total number of attacks on energy infrastructure to 612. The most serious problems are in Kiev and the Kiev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv regions, as well as in other areas near the front line.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko pointed out that the capital has only half of the necessary electricity and urged citizens to leave the city if they have the opportunity.
Against this backdrop, Russian state media have intensified the spread of statements by a former Ukrainian politician with ties to the Kremlin, which analysts say are aimed at preparing Russian society for a rejection of a peaceful solution. Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, considered a close ally of Vladimir Putin, said in an interview with TASS on January 18 that “there will be no peace in Ukraine in 2026“.
Medvedchuk reiterated the thesis that time is on the Kremlin's side, and stressed the determination of the Russian leadership to achieve its initial military goals without negotiations with Kiev. He is once again using established Kremlin rhetoric that portrays the war as a clash with the West, challenges the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, and rejects elections in the country unless they are held on terms favorable to Russia.
These statements come as diplomatic efforts by the United States, the European Union, and Ukraine to craft a peace plan continue, including the latest round of talks between Kiev and Washington, held in Miami on January 16.
According to ISW’s assessment, the Kremlin is likely to reject any peace proposal that does not fully meet Russian demands.