Russian President Vladimir Putin said bombings targeting Ukraine's energy grid followed the Kremlin's goal of "demilitarization" of Ukraine. Putin said the bombings were a response to recent Ukrainian attacks targeting energy infrastructure in Russia, including refineries.
“We have seen a series of strikes on our energy sites recently and we were obliged to respond,” he said. During the winter of 2022-2023, Russian strikes left thousands of people in the cold and darkness for extended periods. This winter, the Ukrainian electricity network was less targeted until March and the start of a new wave of bombings targeting it. The strategy is now clear. There are fears of another painful winter for kyiv. The Russian president also assured that the Russian army had not struck Ukrainian electrical installations this winter “for humanitarian reasons” ‘We did not want to deprive social infrastructure, hospitals, etc. of electricity,’ according to the Russian president. On Thursday, around forty missiles and as many Russian drones targeted the Ukraine electricity network, so much so that President Volodymyr Zelensky implored his Western allies to provide his country with anti-aircraft defense systems.