(Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians on Sunday of potential new waves of Russian attacks on infrastructure in the coming winter. He also mentioned that troops were anticipating an onslaught in the eastern theatre of the war. A military spokesman added that the attacks on the town of Avdiivka had lessened, but were expected to intensify in the coming days.
A Ukrainian military intelligence report revealed that an explosion had killed at least three Russian servicemen in the Russian-occupied town of Melitopol in the south, describing it as an “act of revenge” by resistance groups. This occurred just a day after Russian forces carried out their first missile attack on the capital, Kyiv, in seven weeks.
Zelenskiy’s warning came during his nightly video address, stating, “We are almost halfway through November and must be prepared for the fact that the enemy may increase the number of drone or missile strikes on our infrastructure.” He emphasized the importance of focusing on defense and improving the capabilities of Ukrainian soldiers to get through the winter.
During the previous winter, Russia made waves of attacks on power stations and other plants linked to the energy network, leading to rolling blackouts in widely separated regions. The Ukrainian Energy Minister mentioned that the country would have enough energy resources for the winter, but expressed concern about potential future attacks affecting supplies.
Ukrainian officials have stated that Russia struck Ukrainian infrastructure 60 times in recent weeks, suggesting that a campaign of attacks may already be underway. Zelenskiy praised the “heroic” efforts of troops defending Avdiivka and the town’s resilience against Russian advances since mid-October.
Military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun mentioned that the number of infantry attacks in the past 24 hours had decreased, but air strikes were on the rise. The head of Ukraine’s ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that Moscow’s forces were “more active in the Bakhmut sector and trying to recover lost positions.”
In Melitopol, a blast killed three men during a meeting at a post office used as a military headquarters. The dead were officers of Russia’s National Guard or FSB intelligence service, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate. The military has been increasingly active in attacking Russian-held areas, but does not always acknowledge the strikes.
Russian accounts of the fighting on Sunday stated that its forces had repelled five Ukrainian attacks near Bakhmut. Reuters could not verify accounts from either side. There was no comment from Russian officials. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Maria Starkova; editing by Grant McCool)
