Ukrainian Drone Bombs Russian Electric Substation In Warning To the Kremlin

Russia has indicated it will resume its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this winter. 

Recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia's electrical system are intended to serve as a warning to Russia of what it can expect in return if they do so. JL

Constant Meheut reports in the New York Times:

A Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on a substation in Russia’s Kursk region, in the second attack on Russian electrical infrastructure this week. A transformer at a substation in the village of Belaya caught fire after a drone dropped explosives, knocking out power to nearby settlements. Ukrainian officials have said they would bring the war to Russian territory, and Kyiv in recent months has intensified drone attacks on Moscow and other places inside Russia.

A Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on a substation in Russia’s Kursk region overnight, a local official said Friday, in the second apparent attack on Russian electrical infrastructure this week.

Russia’s ministry of defense said it shot down 10 drones over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the Russian state news agency Tass reported.

Roman Starovoyt, the regional governor, said that a transformer at a substation in the village of Belaya caught fire after a drone dropped explosives, knocking out power to a hospital and nearby settlements.

“Fire brigades have arrived on the site. Power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

His claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine’s military.

Ukrainian officials have said they would bring the war to Russian territory, and Kyiv in recent months has intensified drone attacks on Moscow and other places inside Russia.

Friday’s attack was the second on a Russian substation this week. On Monday, Mr. Starovoyt said a substation in the village of Snagost, also in the Kursk region, was targeted by a drone. Ukrainian news media quoted unnamed officials from the country’s security services as claiming responsibility for both attacks.

Russia pounded Ukraine’s power plants and heating systems with waves of missile strikes last fall and winter in a campaign that was seen as an attempt by Moscow to weaponize winter and demoralize the population as cold temperatures set in.

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s new defense minister, told CNN this week that Russia would likely launch another campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure this winter.