Russian officials said Kiev is preparing to launch a second offensive to regain more occupied Khelsong areas. However, Russian troops are believed to have been strengthening their positions, and Natalia Humeniuk, spokesman for the Southern Ukraine Command, called it a "trick" to drag Ukraine into the war. At the same time, Putin was revealed to have quietly formulated two major strategic plans and are preparing for long-term combat.
For Ukraine, recapturing the region will have great symbolic and logistical value, as Russia hopes that the region will ensure water supply to Crimea , as well as a continental bridge to Russia. The Russian-controlled Helson government issued a statement on Telegram saying that the "terrorist attack" destroyed three power lines in the occupied areas of the region, causing interruption of water and electricity supply. These events followed the massive evacuation of occupied Khlsson, sparking rumors of possible withdrawal of Russia.
However, Putin was revealed to have taken measures to re-arrange the Russian economy for the Ukrainian war, which is another sign that Russia is preparing for a long-term war in addition to mobilization. The first part of the strategy is that Putin established an influential government agency, the Coordination Committee, in October, to coordinate supplies provided to the military. Its mission is to transform Russia's regional economy so that it can respond to the needs of Russian troops in Ukraine. Russia’s new initiative to arm and replenish its military is part of its two-pronged strategy to regain its advantage on the battlefield and declare a long-awaited victory over Kiev. The second part of the
strategy involves weakening Ukraine from the rear. Over the past month, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's key energy infrastructure. Dozens of power plants, substation and other parts of Ukrainian energy system were severely damaged due to multiple attacks by Russia.
In order to stabilize the power grid, Ukrainian authorities have implemented a timed power outage nationwide. Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, head of Ukrainian state energy company Ukrenergo, told Guardian that Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine's energy sector. He said the situation was very critical because the speed of repairing the grid could not catch up with the speed at which the grid was damaged. He said that if Russia's attack continues, the power outage will be "longer and longer". Kiev was once again an outpost for Russia to attempt to attack the capital, Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kiev region, said on Tuesday. Kuleba said power plants on the edge of the capital have repeatedly become targets to cut off the capital's electricity supply.
Kiev mayor and former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he does not rule out the possibility of a complete power outage in the capital. In an interview with Ukraine United News, Klitsinko told people that they were preparing to buy power banks and warm clothes. He said that if power outages are complete, residents in Kiev should try to live at their relatives outside the capital. However, to avoid panic, Klitsinko also urged the people of Kiev not to be "pessimistic". He said he was just suggesting people prepare for different situations, "We will do our best to not let this happen." Roman Tkachuk, head of security at the Kiev municipal government, told the US media that authorities may be forced to ask 3 million residents of the city to leave. The newspaper reported that Ukrainian capital officials have been told that they may receive notifications at least 12 hours in advance if the power grid is on the verge of failure. If this happens, they will "start notify people and ask them to leave", adding that the situation is currently under control.
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