The announcement arrives as the death toll from a weekend drone strike on a munitions depot near Kyiv climbed to 38, compounding escalating regional tensions.
Moscow Warns of Massive Energy Strikes Following Border Escalation
The Russian Armed Forces have begun preparations for massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in response to what Moscow describes as ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on Russia’s civilian infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities, the defence ministry in Moscow said on Sunday.
The ministry described the move as retribution for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities. The threat revives acute concerns over a repeat of the winter conditions that saw widespread destruction of Ukrainian power plants, leaving millions without heat or electricity during sub-zero temperatures. Both sides have systematically intensified long-range operations in recent months, targeting refineries, ports, shipping lanes, and logistics hubs.
Amid these rising threats, Ukrainian officials reported a heavy aerial assault. According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles alongside 130 drones of various types between late Saturday and early Sunday. The Ministry of Defense also said Moscow had carried out coordinated strikes against an industrial facility in Kyiv. Ukraine, for its part, struck an oil refinery in northwestern Russia with drones, sparking a fire, according to local Russian authorities. The Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region is the country’s second-largest production plant, with the capacity to process around 20 million tonnes of crude oil a year for jet fuel and diesel.
Munitions Depot Strike in Myla Kills 38 and Devastates Residential Areas
On the ground, the human toll of the bombardment continues to mount. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday that the death toll from a weekend drone strike on a munitions depot in the village of Myla, in the Bucha district near Kyiv, had risen to 38, with 20 people injured and four still missing. A Russian attack launched on Friday against a warehouse in Myla near the Ukrainian capital reportedly killed 38 people, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X Sunday, with 20 injured and four people missing since the attack.
Writing on Telegram, Zelensky said the extent of contamination in the area is significant as emergency crews worked to extinguish the remaining fires and bomb disposal teams cleared the site. The strike triggered a massive detonation and secondary explosions that sent flames into surrounding residential areas, damaging around 50 buildings and forcing the evacuation of more than 380 residents, according to regional officials. Among the dead was Taras Didych, mayor of the nearby village of Dmytrivka. It is one of the deadliest single incidents Kyiv’s suburbs have seen since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago. Ukrainian prosecutors have opened a criminal negligence investigation focused on why explosives were being stored so close to homes.
Broader Strategic Pressures and Intelligence Warnings Across Europe
The military escalation coincides with diplomatic and intelligence maneuvers across the continent. Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe flew to Russia on Tuesday to meet briefly with intelligence counterparts. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ratcliffe brought up the possibility of a Russian operation against a Nato member during that meeting, though it was unclear if that was the sole purpose of the trip. Earlier in the week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed to have no knowledge or information about the arrival of a US Air Force plane, and the Kremlin had called the reports scare-stories earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, defense officials in Kyiv reported that Russian military leadership is planning a new ground assault targeting both the capital and the northern city of Chernihiv. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, told reporters that Russian military chiefs have been tasked by the Kremlin’s political leaders with planning and preparing for attacks on both the Ukrainian capital and the city of Chernihiv. Defense Minister of Ukraine Yevhenii Khmara said Sunday that Russia is considering an additional wave of mobilization: about 300,000 more people this year and another 300,000 next year. This is a reaction to Russia’s problems in the war, the constant increase in losses at the front, Khmara said, adding that Putin’s goal is to seize all of Ukrainian territory, destroy Ukrainian statehood and present it as a historical contribution to the development of the Russian state.
Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that NATO must be prepared for various scenarios and that a provocation against an alliance member could not be ruled out. Tusk also said that NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte had his assessment of the situation in the region and on the Ukrainian-Russian front and that the escalation from Russia’s side is progressing. A Nato official said on Sunday that even as the Russians are facing very substantial resistance from Ukraine, they are stepping up attacks on Ukraine as well as hybrid acts in Europe. As always, Nato remains vigilant and alert to the variety of threats we face, the official said, adding that at this time, we see no imminent threat of attack, and noting that the alliance continues to stand with Ukraine and work around the clock to keep our one billion people safe.
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