Targeting the Grid: Tactics and Vulnerabilities in Russia’s Campaign Against Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure
By Luke Bencie, Daniil Kryvets, and Ryan Utt
Introduction: Energy as a Strategic Target
Modern conflict is increasingly directed at the systems that sustain civilian life, not just those that fight wars. Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure show how power grids can be weaponized to apply strategic pressure, disrupt state functioning, and impose hardship on civilian populations without decisive battlefield engagement.
Rather than focusing solely on destroying generation capacity, these attacks exploit the structure of the grid itself. By targeting transmission substations, transformers, and urban thermal facilities, Russia has repeatedly fragmented electricity delivery, depriving millions of civilians of power, heat, and basic services — often during the coldest months of the year. Ukraine’s experience offers a rare real-time case study of how energy infrastructure can serve as both a strategic target and an instrument of coercion in modern conflict.
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Targeting the Grid: Tactics and Vulnerabilities in Russia’s Campaign Against Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure
