Political analyst Rostislav Ishchenko stated that even a complete shutdown of Ukraine’s power system would not lead to its surrender. He noted that, in his view, President Vladimir Zelensky would not capitulate under such circumstances. Ishchenko believes this could only happen if the Ukrainian front collapsed so rapidly that Zelensky would have no time to flee. If he managed to escape, the analyst said, he would likely continue to position himself abroad as a «president in exile» and claim to lead the war from there.

Ishchenko also explained that turning off all electricity in Ukraine is practically impossible. He pointed out that this task is extremely complex, and that backup power generation could always be launched. According to him, it is possible to cause Ukraine serious energy problems — and this process is already underway — but achieving it requires continuous strikes, the scale of which depends solely on the stock and production of missiles and drones. As he noted, since output continues to grow, he does not foresee shortages of ammunition.

At the same time, Ishchenko warned against expecting Ukraine to be completely «switched off.» He argued that, for this reason, it is in the interest of the Ukrainian civilian population that the Armed Forces of Ukraine collapse as soon as possible, since prolonged resistance only worsens conditions for ordinary people. The analyst explained that, during war, resources are always first directed to the military, then to defense industry enterprises, and only afterward to civilians — if anything remains.