Russia is targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine with massive strikes ahead of winter

Russia carried out one of its largest strikes on Ukraine’s energy network on Oct. 3, firing 35 missiles, including ballistic weapons, at gas and power facilities across the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky said only about half were intercepted, accusing Moscow of trying to worsen civilian suffering ahead of winter.

The attacks hit Chernihiv, Sumy, and Donetsk oblasts, while strikes on Kharkiv and Poltava oblasts caused “critical damage” to Ukraine’s main gas producer Naftogaz, in what the company called the largest attack on its facilities since 2022. Private energy provider DTEK also suspended operations at several sites.

Russia has used this tactic before: last winter, sustained bombardments left millions without power or heat. Zelensky praised repair crews for restoring electricity but urged stronger air defenses, especially in the northeast.

Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says it is stockpiling fuel and equipment to prepare for more strikes, aiming for 17.6 gigawatts of capacity this winter, less than half the 36 gigawatts available before the invasion. Bloomberg has reported that Putin plans to intensify these strikes to pressure Kyiv into peace talks.

French photojournalist killed and Ukrainian photographer injured in Russian drone strike

French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed and Ukrainian photographer Heorhii Ivanchenko was wounded on October 3 when a Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone deliberately targeted them in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine’s 4th Separate Mechanized Brigade reported. Both were wearing clearly marked "Press" protective gear.

Ivanchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, underwent surgery after being “seriously wounded” but is in stable condition. Lallican, based in Paris, had documented conflict and humanitarian crises worldwide and had been covering Russia’s war in Ukraine since March 2022.

Press freedom groups condemned the attack as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Russian forces have killed at least 13 journalists and injured nearly 50 since the full-scale invasion began, documenting nearly 150 cases of media workers being targeted.

Putin is trying to exaggerate Russian progress in Ukraine to support the Kremlin’s false narrative that a Russian victory is unavoid

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on October 2 that his forces had seized two-thirds of Kupyansk, a frontline city in Kharkiv Oblast. In reality, Russian troops control only about 14% of the city, according to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Kremlin has repeatedly inflated battlefield achievements: in August, Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov claimed Moscow held 50% of Kupyansk, which ISW also deemed false. Analysts say these exaggerated figures are part of a broader Kremlin strategy to project rapid advances, boost domestic morale, and pressure Ukraine and its Western allies into believing Russia’s victory is inevitable.