As winter approaches, Vladimir Putin is directing attacks on Ukraine toward Kyiv’s water infrastructure, aiming to cut off the capital’s drinking water supply.
According to a Russian document seen by Ukrainians and obtained by The New York Times, Moscow estimates that it would take 70 ballistic missiles, 720 long-range drones and 150 guided bombs to leave Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa without water, electricity and heating. In Russia’s secret plans, striking the water supply is seen as a path to Kyiv’s capitulation.
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The document, which the Ukrainian side has shared with its European partners, envisages destroying 90 percent of the electricity generation and heating supply capacity in the three cities.
These figures represent the attackers’ assessment and do not guarantee that the objective will be achieved. Nevertheless, they show an intent to weaken Ukraine by inflicting suffering on civilians where the military is failing on the battlefield. Cutting off Kyiv’s water does not require draining the Dnipro.
It would be enough to disable the pumps that draw water and distribute it to homes, as well as those that remove wastewater. The capital’s network carries approximately 700 million liters of water every day and is one of the city’s largest electricity consumers.
A strike on a power plant or damage to a substation could also shut down this vital system. Meanwhile, new breakdowns add to the previous damage, as repair crews work on a network that remains vulnerable to bombardment.
