Does Russia have firepower for new large-scale strikes? Expert forecast for coming week
Russia’s massive overnight strike on Ukraine on December 23 may not mark the end of such attacks this year, with Moscow having stockpiled enough resources to launch another combined assault in the days ahead.
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Oleksandr Musienko, Ukrainian Territorial Defense soldier / © video screenshot
Following the overnight assault on December 23, when Russian forces deployed hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, the question now is whether this attack represented the height of Russia’s capabilities — or the opening phase of a winter terror campaign.
Ukrainian Territorial Defense serviceman and analyst Oleksandr Musienko assessed the threat in a comment to 24 Kanal.
Forecast for the next 10 days
Even with a record-breaking drone launch — more than 600 — there is no clear spike in Russian capabilities. Forecasts of «thousands of Shahed drones», hitting at once, have not come true yet.
Still, there’s no room for complacency. Musienko says Russia could gather forces for additional strikes very soon.
«There may be one or two more attacks like this over the next week or ten days, targeting energy infrastructure, ” the military expert warned.
Why Putin is acting now
The expert identifies three main reasons for the enemy’s recent activity:
1. Weather: Russians cynically waited for the cold to put maximum strain on Ukraine’s energy system.
2. Psychological pressure: One of the Kremlin’s goals is to «spoil Christmas for the people» and sow panic ahead of the holidays.
3. Demonstration of strength: Moscow wants to show both the West and its domestic audience that it still has firepower, despite sanctions and losses.
Even in this difficult situation, the expert emphasizes that Russia’s current actions are more an attempt at intimidation than a sign of a strategic shift in the war.