Residents of Russia’s border regions are being urged to prepare for major power disruptions. The days when Russia could strike Ukraine’s energy system with impunity are over, a Ukrainian analyst says.
Odesa-based military expert Alexander Kovalenko said that in 2026 residents of several Russian regions should brace for systemic electricity outages and infrastructure strikes. According to him, Ukraine has the resources to scale up retaliatory actions, and the geography of such strikes will expand significantly soon.
“Zero tolerance. Soon there will be everything and even more. In the fifth year of the ‘special military operation,’ the war will take on shades Russians did not know in 2022, in 2023… and so on,” he warned.
It’s not just about the Belgorod region. The expert believes residents of Kursk, Bryansk, Oryol, Kaluga and other Russian regions should stock up on power banks and portable charging stations. He adds that Ukrainian drones and missiles are already penetrating deep into Russia’s rear, reaching eastern Siberian regions and even Udmurtia.
What used to be seen as isolated disruptions could become the new normal in 2026.
In the fifth year of the so-called “special military operation,” the conflict is taking on features unfamiliar to Russian society in 2022 and 2023. The war is gradually returning to Russian territory.
The expert stresses that Ukraine is demonstrating an ability not only to defend itself but also to deliver painful strikes against Russia’s military and energy infrastructure. That, he says, is shifting the psychological balance and shattering the illusion of complete safety inside the country.
In his assessment, 2026 could bring Russians significant daily-life and infrastructure challenges. “The boomerang of war launched in 2022 is returning,” he writes.
