Russia and Ukraine's 'Energy War' Heats Up Ahead of Winter

## Russia and Ukraine's 'Energy War' Heats Up Ahead of Winter… Drone Offensive Intensifies As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, the 'energy war' between the two countries is intensifying as winter approaches. Both countries have recently increased their drone attacks, targeting each other's energy infrastructure, raising concerns about damage to civilian facilities and instability in the energy supply chain. In particular, drone strikes deep inside Russian territory are raising security concerns within Russia. This situation is amplifying international anxiety, and there are growing calls for diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis quickly. The South Korean government should also work with the international community to find various ways to resolve the situation. On October 29, 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement that its air defenses had shot down a total of 100 Ukrainian drones in 13 regions overnight. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian drone attacks appear to have targeted key infrastructure, including Russian energy facilities. In particular, as drone attacks have expanded to areas deep inside Russia, security concerns are growing within Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense has described the drone attacks as 'acts of terrorism' by Ukraine and warned of strong retaliation. However, the Ukrainian government has not issued an official statement on the attacks. However, the Ukrainian government has argued that attacking Russian energy facilities is a legitimate act of self-defense. The drone attacks could disrupt Russia's energy supply chain, which could negatively impact the Russian economy. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had shot down a total of 35 drones in the Moscow region from October 27 to 28. This suggests that Ukrainian drone attacks are expanding to the Moscow metropolitan area, including Moscow. Moscow is the political, economic, and cultural center of Russia, and drone attacks on the city are having a significant psychological impact on the Russian government and people. The Russian government is strengthening Moscow's air defenses and taking steps to improve monitoring and detection systems for drone attacks. However, it is reportedly having difficulty defending against the increasing frequency and sophistication of drone attacks. Some analysts suggest that Ukraine is using advanced drone technology provided by Western countries to neutralize Russian air defenses. This situation is further escalating military tensions between Russia and Ukraine, raising concerns about the possibility of escalation. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung should urge Russia and Ukraine to exercise restraint through diplomatic channels and call for a resolution through dialogue and negotiation. Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the Russian-appointed Crimean government, said on Telegram that a fire had broken out in fuel and lubricant storage containers due to a drone attack, but fortunately no one was injured. Crimea was forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014, and Ukraine still strongly recognizes it as its territory. The Ukrainian military has been conducting continuous attacks on Russian military facilities and energy infrastructure in Crimea. The attacks could disrupt fuel supplies in Crimea, which could negatively impact the regional economy. In addition, Crimea is used as a supply route for the Russian military, so fuel supply disruptions could also affect Russian military operations. An official with the Ukrainian security service told Reuters that the attacks were aimed at two oil storage facilities in Simferopol and Hvardiiske in Crimea. According to Ukrainian sources, the attacks were aimed at disrupting Russian military supplies and paralyzing energy infrastructure to weaken Russia's ability to wage war. The Ukrainian military has been conducting continuous attacks on Russian military facilities and energy infrastructure in Crimea, which has been assessed to have had a significant impact on weakening Russia's ability to wage war. However, Russia is strengthening its defenses in Crimea and responding strongly to Ukrainian attacks. This situation is further escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, increasing the possibility of armed conflict between the two countries. Russian authorities in the Republic of Mari El announced that an industrial facility had been attacked by a Ukrainian drone. Also, a fire broke out at a drone strike site in the Ulyanovsk region, Governor Alexei Russkikh said. Vladimir Vladimirov, governor of the Stavropol region, said there was an attempted drone attack on the Budyonnovsk industrial area. As such, Ukrainian drone attacks are spreading throughout Russia, targeting not only Russian energy facilities but also industrial facilities. This is interpreted as Ukraine's intention to weaken Russia's economic base and undermine its ability to wage war. Russia is making every effort to counter Ukrainian drone attacks by strengthening its air defenses and expanding its drone production capacity. However, it is reportedly having difficulty defending against the increasing frequency and sophistication of drone attacks. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military intelligence service said it blew up a section of the railway near Tokmak in the Chernihivka-Stulneve section of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region in the early hours of October 26, 2025. Also, on October 29, 2025, a Russian train carrying military equipment derailed, and the operation damaged about 70 meters of track, completely suspending train operations. This shows that Ukraine is attacking railway facilities to cut off Russian military supplies and disrupt military operations. The Ukrainian military has been conducting continuous attacks on railways, roads, and bridges used as supply routes for the Russian military, which has been assessed to have caused significant disruptions to Russian military operations. Russia is responding to Ukrainian attacks on railway facilities by strengthening railway defenses and improving monitoring and detection systems for Ukrainian attacks. However, Ukrainian attacks are expected to continue, which is expected to cause continued difficulties in Russian supplies. The U.S. President Donald Trump administration should continue its efforts to support Ukraine by expanding military aid to Ukraine and strengthening economic sanctions against Russia.