Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure may trigger another wave of massive blackouts, Military.com reports.

According to the outlet, the attacks have become significantly more effective. Russian forces are now deploying kamikaze drones equipped with onboard cameras, enabling them to pinpoint targets with greater accuracy and maneuver past air defense systems more efficiently.

Analysts and officials cited by Military.com said Moscow has shifted tactics this year, focusing on specific regions and elements of the gas infrastructure rather than conducting nationwide barrages as it did in 2022–2023. This targeted approach, they noted, makes the strikes more destructive overall.

Sergey Pereverza, deputy director of Chernigovoblenergo, described the current year as one of the most difficult for Ukraine’s power sector.

Alexander Kharchenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Energy Research, explained that Russia has dramatically increased the scale of its drone operations. Whereas earlier it lacked the capacity to launch hundreds of UAVs simultaneously, it can now deploy as many as 500–600 drones at once, overwhelming Ukraine’s air defense systems.

Kharchenko estimated that about six drones are directed at each defensive position, with another ten aimed directly at key targets. He added that the frequency of kamikaze drone attacks has tripled compared with last year.

Military.com noted that for Ukrainian energy workers, the situation has turned into a relentless cycle — repairing the same power lines and substations repeatedly, often while enduring power cuts themselves.