13/10/2026
Within two days, US President Donald Trump announced a diesel deal with Vladimir Putin and an “energy ceasefire”. A few hours later, Russia struck a power plant in Kharkiv.
The announcements distract from Russia’s real strategy: to force Ukraine into surrender this winter through an unleashed air war and the terrorisation of the civilian population. In the past week alone, Russian attacks killed more than 150 civilians.
Russia’s “winter campaign” began on 30 September with the heaviest attack on Ukraine’s energy supply since April, with Kyiv at the centre of the attacks for the first time.
However, Russia’s heavy reliance on escalating the air war is also a sign of weakness: on the front line, Russia has made hardly any territorial gains since March.
Our new Ukraine Air War Monitor is now available at: https://www.kyiv-dialogue.org/en/news/newsreader/ukraine-air-war-monitor-vol-xxi.html
The Ukraine Air War Monitor is based on documenting more than 128,900 Russian air strikes against Ukrainian cities and civilian targets since autumn 2022. This data helps to identify patterns, assess evolving Russian tactics, and prepare recommendations on how to improve the protection of Ukraine against Russian air strikes and to strengthen Europe's security.
The Ukraine Air War Monitor is published by Kyiv Dialogue in cooperation with OSINT and data analyst Marcus Welsch and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Ukraine.