With the latest strikes, the Russian Federation is trying to hit Ukraine's energy system and exhaust air defence before the arrival of US security aid.
What is the purpose of the latest massive attacks on Ukraine
It is noted that the shelling on the night of May 8 was the fifth large-scale attack by Russian missiles and drones on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since March 22, 2024.
In this way, the Russian military is trying to use the weakened capabilities of Ukrainian air defense to destroy the energy system and limit the defence and industrial potential of the country.
ISW suggests that Russia will continue its massive strikes to cause long-term damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as Ukrainian air defence forces will be weakened until they receive American systems and other air defence assets.
In recent weeks, Russian forces have also stepped up strikes against Ukraine's transportation infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOC) and limit the flow of US security assistance planned for the front, analysts report.
Russia should more a significant larger number of missiles to break through the air defence system located near the energy facilities and cause considerable damage to them, ISW notes.
At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported that the strikes on energy facilities and defence-industrial enterprises were intended to reduce Ukraine's ability to produce military equipment and transfer Western equipment to the front.
Massive shelling of Ukraine on May 8
On May 8, the Russians launched a new massive attack on Ukraine. It is known that the occupiers fired missiles from strategic bombers. There was also the launch of "Shaheds" kamikaze drones.
Energy was under attack from the enemy. The Ministry of Energy reported that electricity generation and transmission facilities were attacked in six regions — Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia.
Ukrenergo specified that generation facilities and equipment at one of Ukrenergo's facilities in the central region were damaged.
Air defence forces destroyed 39 of 55 launched missiles and 20 of 21 drones.
