According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia wants to cut the connection between the east and the west of Ukraine with attacks on bridges and the power grid. “Russia is trying to split Ukraine along the Dnipro and to make life as difficult as possible for people and for our cities and villages,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Monday, as reported by welt.de.
The Russian attacks on bridges and energy facilities had been discussed in detail at a meeting of the military and political leadership, Zelensky explained. Representatives of the particularly affected regions and the mayor of Kyiv took part. As reported by zn.ua, representatives from Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipro, Sumy and the Donetsk region, as well as Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, government representatives and the military command attended the meeting. The countermeasures would be updated every week, Zelensky said.
According to a report by the “Financial Times”, Zelensky had previously warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Moscow wanted to isolate the east of Ukraine bordering Russia from the western part of the country. A senior Ukrainian official told the newspaper that Russia also wanted to cut the power supply from west to east. Millions of people could thereby be left without electricity in the middle of winter. According to zn.ua, power failed partially in twelve regions on 9 November.
Zelensky announced additional support from the European Union. Details would be prepared with the EU Commission, the president said. In particular, the energy supply as well as logistics and transport connections that Russia is trying to block should be strengthened. Further defence packages are also being prepared. According to zn.ua, Serhii Koretskyi and the EU Commission are working on the details.
The Dnipro runs through Ukraine from north to south and flows through Kyiv, Dnipro and Kherson, among other places. Its bridges are important connections for supplying the population and for military supplies. In the south, the river partly forms the front line between Ukrainian and Russian troops. Military analysts warned the “Financial Times” of significant consequences of sustained attacks on the crossings. Destroyed railway bridges could in particular make the transport of heavy equipment, ammunition and reinforcements more difficult. However, the military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady considers a complete separation of eastern Ukraine unlikely. Russia could already achieve an effect through delays and additional burdens. The military expert Michael Kofman also pointed to the possibility of using pontoon bridges.
According to zn.ua, the president’s adviser Serhii “Flesh” Beskrestnov said that Russian troops could equip “Iskander” missiles with special warheads to hit bridges more precisely. On 7 November, the Pivnichnyi Bridge was damaged in an attack on Kyiv, including the roadway, the overhead line network and a power line. In the night of 27 October, missiles hit the Pivdennyi Bridge and damaged the metro infrastructure. On the same day, Klitschko announced that the city would provide one billion hryvnias for combined crossings over the Dnipro.
At the talks in Abu Dhabi planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, Ukraine intends, according to Zelensky, to propose concrete steps for de-escalation. The Ukrainian negotiating group is already in the United Arab Emirates. European partners would also be involved, with separate discussion formats planned with them. Another goal is clarity on how a meeting of the heads of state and government of Ukraine, Russia and the USA could be organised. For a real end to the war, security guarantees and “real means for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war” are needed in addition to peace, Zelensky said. He appealed to Washington to exert influence on Moscow: “Russia can end it. What matters is that America convinces Russia of exactly that.”
