Ukraine Warns Russia May Target Nuclear Power Substations in New Energy Blackmail

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) warned Saturday that Russia is considering attacks on electricity transmission substations that support the operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, in what Kyiv described as an effort to pressure the country into accepting unacceptable surrender terms.

HUR said Moscow is weighing strikes on strategic energy facilities, specifically substations that transmit power from nuclear plants to the national grid.

According to the intelligence agency, Russia also plans to intensify intimidation of European and Western countries to curb support for Ukraine, including efforts to weaken Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian air attacks on critical energy infrastructure.

“By destroying or disabling these substations, Moscow is seeking to disconnect the nuclear power plant’s power units from Ukraine’s integrated power grid, leaving Ukrainian civilians completely without electricity and heat,” HUR added.

As of mid-January 2026, Russian forces had conducted reconnaissance of 10 such critical energy sites across nine regions of Ukraine, the intelligence agency said.

Ukraine’s intelligence said the reported plans to target substations linked to nuclear power generation underscore what it described as the genocidal nature of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Thursday it has documented evidence that Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amount to crimes against humanity.

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The agency said it has gathered proof showing the strikes are a deliberate Kremlin policy aimed at creating life-threatening conditions for civilians. Since the start of the current heating season, investigators have recorded 256 Russian air attacks on energy facilities and heating systems nationwide.

According to the SBU, from October 2025 to date Russian forces have deliberately targeted 11 hydroelectric power plants and 45 of Ukraine’s largest combined heat and power plants. Investigators also documented 49 precision strikes on thermal power plants and 151 attacks on electrical substations across multiple regions.

The heaviest attacks hit energy generation and distribution facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as the Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv regions, the agency said.

Late Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would move to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector, citing the heavy impact of recent Russian attacks on power and heating systems.

Zelensky announced plans to combat the “severe” consequences of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure and worsening weather conditions in three main areas.

Firstly, he said, a special headquarters will be established in Kyiv to coordinate a full-time response to the energy crisis.