---
title: "The Guardian: Moscow Has Ready Plan to Make Major Ukrainian Cities 'Uninhabitable' via Energy Grid Strikes"
description: "The Guardian reports on a new Russian plan: systematic strikes on power plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities are intended to make them «uninhabitable» and drive Ukraine to capitulation, despite the announced «energy truce»."
date: 2026-10-17T16:57:46.616Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/putin-new-plan-ukraine-energy-grid-strikes
tags: [russia, ukraine, putin, energy-strikes, kyiv, power-grid, the-guardian]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The Guardian: Moscow Has Ready Plan to Make Major Ukrainian Cities 'Uninhabitable' via Energy Grid Strikes

![Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking on stage with hand gestures](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/17/novyi-plan-putina-udary-po-energosisteme-ukrainy/novyi-plan-putina-udary-po-energosisteme-ukrainy-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The Guardian outlines a Russian plan to make major Ukrainian cities uninhabitable through energy grid strikes
- Strikes on power plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities continued after Trump's unilateral 'energy truce'
- According to the publication, the main goal is to deprive Kyiv of about 90% of electricity; worst-case outages up to 20 hours a day

According to The Guardian, journalists have obtained a new Russian plan which, in their assessment, involves a significant escalation of pressure on Ukraine's civilian population. The key objective of the document, as described by the authors, is to make major Ukrainian cities «uninhabitable» in order to force the country to capitulate. The publication notes that the recent actions of the Russian army indicate the beginning of the implementation of this scheme: over the past week, missiles and drones systematically targeted power plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other major cities, leading to permanent power outages and water supply disruptions.

### A Plan Covering All Major Cities

As journalists emphasize, this is not about isolated incidents, but a calculated strategy: according to their information, Russia has even calculated how many missiles and drones will be required to achieve the set goal. In addition, according to the publication, the enemy has identified vulnerable objects of the Ukrainian energy system and planned strikes on high-risk facilities, including distribution substations at several nuclear power plants. Thus, the strike campaign, as assessed by The Guardian, is systematic and pre-planned in nature.

### Energy Grid Strikes Despite 'Energy Truce'

The publication draws special attention to the fact that the strikes continued even after Donald Trump unilaterally announced an «energy ceasefire» between Moscow and Kyiv last week. According to journalists, Russia did not stop its methodical and destructive strikes on Ukraine's energy system, specifically targeting facilities in Kyiv. The authors interpret this as an element of a strategy aimed at punishing the population and driving the country to capitulation, rather than a reaction to specific military events.

### Strategy Against the Backdrop of the Frontline Situation

The Guardian concludes that such a strategy is being applied against the backdrop of a lack of noticeable successes by the Russian army on the battlefield, as well as the recent counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. In the publication's logic, pressure on civilian infrastructure becomes a tool to compensate for positional losses and an attempt to break the social resilience of Ukrainian cities. The authors emphasize that the goal remains unchanged and is primarily directed at the capital.

### Kyiv at the Center of Strategy and Outage Scenarios

The main target, according to The Guardian, is Kyiv: the task is set to deprive the capital of about 90% of its electricity supply, plunging the city into cold and darkness. According to expert forecasts cited by the publication, in the worst-case scenario, power outages could last up to 20 hours a day until damaged equipment is repaired. Earlier, it was reported that Vladimir Putin publicly ordered the continuation of massive strikes against Ukraine, and plans were also made to deploy ballistic systems on the territory of Belarus — these reports are provided by the publication as additional context.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Новый план Путина охватывает каждый большой город Украины, - The Guardian](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/noviy-plan-putina-ohoplyue-kozhne-velike-1792248121.html) - Single source; the factual part (strikes on power plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv, outages) aligns with known dynamics, but the «plan», calculations, and figures (90% electricity supply, up to 20 hours of outages) are presented as The Guardian's assessment without independent confirmation.

## FAQ

### What is the new Russian plan according to The Guardian?

The publication describes the plan as a systematic escalation of strikes on the energy system of major Ukrainian cities — Kyiv, Kharkiv, and others — with the aim of making them «uninhabitable» and forcing the country to capitulate.

### Did the strikes stop after the announcement of the 'energy truce'?

No. According to journalists, even after Donald Trump unilaterally announced an «energy ceasefire», Russia continued to strike energy infrastructure facilities, particularly in Kyiv.

### What consequences do experts forecast for Kyiv?

According to expert forecasts cited by the publication, in the worst-case scenario, power outages in Kyiv could last up to 20 hours a day until damaged equipment is repaired; the task is to deprive the city of about 90% of its electricity supply.