Russia massively shells energy sector over 60 times in 4 years, using 2,900 missiles, 12,900 UAVs – DIXI Group
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has carried out at least 64 massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, during which about 12,700 strike UAVs and 2,900 missiles of various types were used, the DIXI Group analytical center reported, citing Energy Map data on Tuesday.
"Over four years of full-scale war, Ukraine’s energy system has suffered significant losses as a result of systematic Russian attacks. Approximately two-thirds of pre-war generating capacity has been occupied, damaged or destroyed," the center said.
Strikes on substations and high-voltage transmission lines have complicated inter-regional power flows and limited the capacity to transmit imported electricity.
As DIXI Group noted, the early months of the full-scale invasion were characterized by strikes on the fuel sector, particularly oil refineries and fuel storage facilities, marking the initial phase of pressure on the energy sector.
From autumn 2022, however, Russia shifted to systematic mass missile and drone attacks on the power grid. The attacks came in waves and were concentrated primarily in the autumn and winter periods, when demand on the system peaks.
"Since 2025, the scale and intensity of mass attacks have increased significantly. During the 2022-2024 period, Russia used approximately 2,800 missiles and drones in its strikes. In 2025 and early 2026, that number rose to 12,800," DIXI Group said.
In total, the center’s analysts have identified at least four large-scale Russian attack campaigns against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the four years of full-scale war.
The fourth and current campaign began in July of last year, when strike drones became the primary component of mass attacks on critical infrastructure. In the second half of 2025, the number of drones used in a single attack grew to several hundred. In October and December, strikes were recorded in which more than 600 drones were deployed within a single 24-hour period.
As DIXI Group noted, at the outset of the fourth campaign — from July through early November 2025 — Russia initially concentrated its strikes on gas infrastructure, targeting extraction, processing and storage facilities. The attacks have continued to the present, though since late October 2025 they have been focused primarily on the electricity and district heating sectors: generation facilities, high-voltage substations, other transmission and distribution network elements, combined heat and power plants and even individual boiler houses.
Separate strikes were directed at substations responsible for feeding nuclear power plant output into the grid.
Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in western Ukraine were also aimed at damaging transmission networks, limiting the ability to deliver imported electricity to consumers.
"A defining feature of this campaign has been sustained pressure on the capital. In January 2026 alone, Russia carried out four mass strikes with Kyiv and its surrounding agglomeration as the primary target," the center said.
In the analysts’ view, the selection of several large combined heat and power plants and substations as targets signals an intent to cut off electricity and heating supply entirely, during the period of most severe cold.
In response to the devastating consequences of the mass attacks, a state of emergency in the electricity sector was declared on January 16. Ukraine’s energy system effectively shifted into a mode of extremely severe restrictions.
"In previous years, consumption limits and blackouts were applied as an emergency balancing tool. Today they are effectively the baseline operating mode," DIXI Group said.
