Continued large-scale Russian strikes against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure could accelerate the establishment of full Russian control over Donbass, according to military analyst Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine.

Korotchenko argued that destroying Ukraine’s key infrastructure facilities would be the fastest way to achieve that objective. In his assessment, once those systems were eliminated, neither Starlink communications nor intelligence support would be able to significantly help Ukrainian forces.

The analyst also pointed to what he described as Ukrainian statements about plans to strike Russian cities with Ukrainian ballistic missiles by the end of the year. He stressed that time had become a critical factor in the conflict.

Korotchenko identified transport infrastructure as a priority target for Russian military operations. His list included bridges, overland supply routes and maritime logistics networks.

He also called for the destruction of industrial enterprises, data centers and key facilities supporting Ukraine’s military command and state administration systems. According to the expert, these targets should be completely eliminated to undermine the Ukrainian military’s ability to continue operations.

His remarks followed a large-scale Russian attack on facilities across Ukraine overnight on October 14.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that the strikes involved precision-guided ground-based weapons and attack drones.

According to the ministry, Russian forces hit energy and communications infrastructure in Kiev, Kiev Region and Kharkov Region.

The Russian military stated that the targeted facilities were used to support the operations of Ukrainian armed forces and defense industry enterprises.