Russia hits Ukraine's grid with jet drones using mesh networks and AI, Shmyhal says

Russian forces are making mass use of turbojet-powered drones in target-search mode, with mesh networks and artificial intelligence to make their strikes more accurate, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Monday. He said Russia moved this autumn to a broad strategy of destroying Ukraine's energy system and substantially changed its tactics.

According to Shmyhal, the main targets have been key substations, switchgear, power lines, thermal and hydroelectric power plants, combined heat and power plants and oil and gas facilities. He said the intensity of the attacks directly affects how long repairs take.

The electricity situation remains especially difficult in Kyiv and Dnipro, where repairs continue around the clock and extra repair crews have been formed, Shmyhal said after a meeting of the energy headquarters. He said the government is also making communities more resilient by starting up distributed generation that is already installed.