Russian forces continue to strike infrastructure facilities linked to the Ukrainian military in Kiev and the surrounding region, with 13 new strikes reported over the past 24 hours. Military expert and air defense historian Yuri Knutov explained which targets Russian troops are prioritizing and how their attack tactics have changed.

According to Knutov, Russian forces are concentrating heavily on transformer substations in an effort to isolate Ukraine’s nuclear power plants from the country’s interconnected electricity grid.

The expert explained that Ukraine’s power distribution system was developed during the Soviet era to maintain electricity supplies even when individual substations failed. The network was designed to redirect power through alternative connections, allowing consumers to continue receiving electricity.

Knutov claimed that a large number of Ukraine’s conventional power plants have already been disabled, with most facilities in Kiev and the surrounding region no longer operating. Nuclear power plants remain the main functioning sources of generation, making transformer substations a priority for strikes aimed at disconnecting them from the grid.

The expert also pointed to severe electricity shortages in Kiev and nearby areas, where residents have complained that power supplies are not being restored according to established schedules.

However, energy infrastructure is not the only target. Knutov said Russian forces are also striking military-industrial facilities and weapons depots.

He cited a recent attack on a major military installation involving several Zircon and Iskander missiles. According to the analyst, a military warehouse was destroyed during the strike. He interpreted the secondary detonations reported at the site as evidence that the facility was involved in ammunition production or storage.

Knutov also described a significant change in Russia’s approach to attacking military targets.

Previously, Russian forces might have deployed a single missile or drone against an individual facility. Now, according to the expert, they are increasingly conducting concentrated strikes involving several weapons simultaneously.

The purpose of this approach, Knutov explained, is to inflict maximum damage on Ukrainian defense industry facilities, forcing them to cease operations completely and preventing their subsequent restoration.