Winter as a weapon and the desperate search for defenses
kyiv, Ukraine. Because nothing says “good morning” like a swarm of hundreds of drones and thirty missiles falling on your electrical system. In its last and most affectionate gesture of affection, Russia decided to illuminate the Ukrainian night not with lanterns, but with the explosive glare of its artillery, in what the local authorities, with their unmistakable optimism, have called a “massive bombing.”
The result, as expected for those not living in an alternative reality, was widespread blackouts in eight regions. The national energy company, Ukrenergo, was forced to do what it does best in these times: manage chaos. Meanwhile, DTEK, the main private energy company, announced cuts in the capital and, in a move that will surely delight the most radical environmentalists, had to stop natural gas extraction in the Poltava region. Because what better way to fight climate change than by paralyzing fossil fuel production with bombs? The gas infrastructure, in case anyone was keeping track, has already received its sixth unsolicited visit from Russian missiles this month. A record attendance.
“This fall, the Russians are taking advantage of every day to attack our energy infrastructure,” wrote a probably exhausted Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram, in what constitutes the understatement of the year. It’s like saying that a shark “takes advantage of every day” to bite a swimmer, but with more high-tension cables and less water.
The Kremlin’s strategy is as subtle as an elephant in a china shop: since it began its incursion into neighboring territory more than three years ago, the electrical grid has become its favorite target. And with the arrival of cold weather, the campaign intensifies, in a tactic that Ukraine, with its proverbial Slavic irony, has baptized as “turning winter into a weapon”. Moscow, for its part, insists that it only attacks targets of military value. Of course, because an electrical substation that powers a hospital or a school is, obviously, an existential threat to Mother Russia. Who doesn’t see it?
The visit to Washington: Asking for an umbrella for a missile monsoon
While his citizens shiver in the dark, Zelenskyy prepares for his big date with Donald Trump at the White House. The agenda, according to well-informed sources (that is, everyone), includes a request for anti-aircraft systems and long-range missiles. Basically, Ukraine urgently needs an umbrella big enough to cover a country almost the size of Texas from a non-stop metallic rain. The difficulty of defending all that airspace is comparable to trying to protect a soccer field with only one goalkeeper and hundreds of balls coming in at once from all angles.
The visit occurs at a most picturesque moment in international politics. Trump, according to analysts who read the geopolitical tea, seems to be growing impatient with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, whom he increasingly points out as the main obstacle to peace. Imagine the scene: after years of a complex relationship of mutual admiration, it now turns out that the Kremlin tsar has become a nuisance. The disappointment must be monumental.
“The United States will take the necessary measures to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” declared US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a phrase so generic that it could apply to any conflict since the Trojan War.
To add more fuel to the already well-stocked fire of diplomacy, Trump announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally promised him that his country will stop buying Russian oil. A move that, if confirmed, would deprive Moscow of crucial funds for its war machine. Of course, this raises an existential question: where will India get its crude oil now? Maybe from Venezuela? Or from Iran? Energy geopolitics is always a game of musical chairs in which, in the end, someone is always left without a seat.
Washington’s eternal dilemma has been whether or not to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles such as Tomahawks, for fear of “aggravating the war.” Impeccable logic: do not give the person being beaten a longer stick, lest he defend himself and the person beating him will become even more angry. Fortunately, the Institute for the Study of War (a think tank based in Washington) has clarified that sending these missiles would not escalate the conflict, but would only be a “proportionate response.” It’s like saying that punching back after being beaten isn’t escalating violence, it’s simply establishing a non-verbal dialogue.
Ukraine arms itself to the teeth (with Texan help)
Faced with the volatile and sometimes capricious aid from its Western allies, Ukraine has decided to take the reins of its own arms destiny. In a twist that would make any military-industrial complex lobbyist smile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the American company Bell Textron Inc. to collaborate on aeronautical technology.
The company, based in Fort Worth, Texas The Ukrainian government delegation visiting the United States did not waste time and also met with two heavyweights in the arms industry: Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. One can almost imagine the conversation: “Hello, we have a problem with some neighbors who are a little noisy. Do you sell something that can… silence them from a safe distance?” Meanwhile, on the front, reality continues its relentless course. Ukrainian forces have counterattacked by targeting Russian oil refineries, infrastructure crucial to Moscow’s economy and war effort. The Ukrainian General Staff reported an attack on the Saratov refinery, for the second time in two months. The facility is located about 500 kilometers from the border, demonstrating that Ukraine’s range capability is improving. Moscow, true to its style, has not commented on the matter. He prefers to maintain a silence that, without a doubt, is much more eloquent than any recognition. In summary, the picture is this: a war of attrition that drags on indefinitely, an energy infrastructure in pieces, a president traveling the world asking for help like a student asking for an extension for a term paper, and two superpowers playing geopolitical chess with pieces that are, in reality, human lives. And all this, seasoned with the absurd hope that more and better weapons will bring peace. Irony, like missiles, soars through the skies. Did you find this analysis of the absurd logic of modern war revealing? Don’t keep the information to yourself: share it on your social networks and help more people understand the complex realities behind the headlines. Explore more content related to global geopolitics in our analysis section.
