Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Russia has not given up plans to plunge Ukrainians into darkness. The enemy is rushing to do this as quickly as possible, not waiting for autumn.
Such a conclusion was reached by American intelligence, whose data were shared by the Center for Strategic Communications.
What strike is Russia preparing for Independence Day?
According to intelligence reports, the main target of the occupiers will be Kyiv.
Moscow may not wait for autumn to begin a large-scale campaign against the capital's energy system.
It is likely she is prepared to use a strategic stockpile of ballistic missiles to inflict maximum damage before Independence Day.
According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, Russia may begin a campaign of strikes against energy infrastructure as early as August, taking advantage of Ukraine not having interceptors to shoot down ballistic missiles.
Since Ukraine has nothing to defend against, ballistic strikes on Kyiv will likely have serious consequences.
Attacks on the capital's energy sector in the coming weeks could complicate the restoration and strengthening of facilities damaged by Russia last winter 2025 – 2026 years.
At the same time, in winter Moscow is likely to continue strikes against Ukrainian energy. They could be even more extensive if Russia manages to weaken Ukrainian preparedness already in August.
At present, it is unknown how many energy facilities Ukraine has managed to restore after last winter and, accordingly, how many targets Russia will have for new strikes in 2026 year.
Recall that Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in autumn 2025-2025 and in winter 2026 years caused significant damage. As of mid-January 2026, it was estimated that restoring it would take from 64 to 70 billions of dollars.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal 3 August stated that last year's strikes damaged or destroyed facilities that provided about 80% of Ukraine's generation. As a result, the deficit of generating capacities in Ukraine amounted to about 6 gigawatts.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Росія готує масштабний удар до 24 серпня: відомо, по чому саме битиме ворог". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.