Russia's destruction tactic of targeting infrastructure has been 'blunted', MOD intelligence says
Russia's tactic of Strategic Operation for the Destruction of Critically Important Targets (SODCIT) has "likely been blunted", according to the latest Defence Intelligence from the Ministry of Defence.
Since October 2022, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's electricity distribution grid, primarily with cruise missiles – leaving millions of Ukrainians suffering from scheduled and unscheduled blackouts.
However, "its effectiveness as a strategy has likely been blunted because Russia has already expended a large proportion of its suitable missiles against tactical targets", the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) latest update states.
The intelligence added that "with Ukraine having successfully mobilised for nine months, the material and psychological effect of the SODCIT is likely less than if it was deployed in the initial period of a war".
SODCIT is a "key component of the military doctrine" Russia has adopted in recent years, the MOD intelligence says.
As a result, Ukraine has continued to suffer from Russian strikes, strikes that continue to cause power shortages resulting in "indiscriminate, widespread humanitarian suffering" across the nation.
"Russia envisioned SODCIT as using long-range missiles to strike an enemy state's critical national infrastructure, rather than its military forces, to demoralise the population and ultimately force the state's leaders to capitulate.
The MOD believes the attacks on Ukraine's electricity distribution grid were "likely the first example of Russia attempting to implement the concept".
It was reported last week that Kherson city in southern Ukraine continued to suffer daily bombardment by Russian artillery despite its liberation by Ukrainian forces.
Russia's targeting of civilian infrastructure was making the Ukrainian people "stronger", according to a former Royal Marine reporting from Kyiv.
Documentary filmmaker Emile Ghessen last month told Forces News that Russia had been attacking civilian targets across Ukraine for the "last couple of months" using Iranian Shahed-136 drones.
He said: "The psychological impact [from] the sound that they have is massive."
However, Mr Ghessen said despite the fear of Russia's attacks on civilian targets, the resilience of Ukrainians is "unwavering".