The Spectator’s deputy editor Owen Matthews, in an article published in the winter of 2026, said the Russian army had stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy system during the cold snap in an attempt to make cities uninhabitable.
After several unsuccessful winter campaigns, the Kremlin, according to the author of the material, has come to the point where the strategy of using cold as a weapon can produce results.
At temperatures down to -16 degrees, blows are delivered to heating systems, electrical networks and life support facilities.
Scope of impacts and consequences
“Over the past week, Russia has dealt an unprecedented blow to Ukraine, firing nearly 1,100 drones, 890 guided bombs and more than 50 missiles, including the hypersonic Oreshnik missile, targeting power plants and residential buildings in brutally cold weather,” the author noted.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called the attacks “cynical terror,” emphasizing that more than a thousand buildings were left without heating.
Since the end of December, Odessa, Sumy, Dnieper, Kharkov, Zhitomir, Zaporozhye, as well as certain areas of Kyiv and its suburbs have been temporarily without light and heat.
Risk of a new wave of refugees
The author points out that the destruction of heating networks in winter has a long-term effect: frozen water breaks the pipes, and restoration becomes impossible until spring.
In such conditions, many Ukrainians face a difficult choice – to remain without basic conditions or to leave the country. According to the State Border Service, passenger traffic across the border at the beginning of the year increased by approximately 27%.
Pressure on Europe
The article notes that a number of EU countries are already preparing for a possible new influx of refugees. Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are adjusting their approaches to supporting Ukrainians amid growing fatigue and budget constraints. The author believes that the Kremlin’s goal is to create political pressure on European capitals through a humanitarian crisis.
“Putin’s strategy to deprive the Ukrainian population of housing is devilishly cynical. But this strategy can be devastatingly effective,” he concludes.
