Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, have in recent weeks escalated aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems.
“Russia’s task is to create chaos and apply psychological pressure on the population through strikes on energy facilities and railways,” Zelensky told journalists, including AFP, in embargoed comments made in Kyiv on Wednesday.
The recent attacks mirror similar Russian bombing campaigns in the winters of 2022, 2023 and 2024 when attacks left millions of Ukrainian without energy or heating for long periods.
Zelensky said that Russian attacks this year had already put Ukrainian gas infrastructure under “heavy pressure” and that more strikes on gas infrastructure could force his country to ramp up imports.
Ukraine has also recently stepped up its own drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in a campaign that Zelensky said was showing “results” and that have also increased fuel prices in Russia.
“We believe that they’ve lost up to 20 percent of their gasoline supply –- directly as a result of our strikes,” Zelensky said, adding there was evidence Russia had stepped up imports from China and Belarus.
Ukraine also recently struck a power station in the Russian border region of Belgorod, causing power outages.
