Russia, eager to break Ukraine’s power grid, is subjecting Ukrainian electrical substations to a wit5 Jan 2023 20:44
Russia, eager to break Ukraine’s power grid, is subjecting Ukrainian electrical substations to a withering array of missile and drone strikes. A simultaneous rise in physical attacks on U.S. electrical substations risks advancing Russian war aims by crimping the already tight global supply of transformers and other key electrical grid subcomponents.
Assaults on America’s sprawling electrical infrastructure are on the increase—at least 19 attacks have occurred since September alone. With electrical transmission equipment supplies at critical lows, American utilities are scrambling to prepare for more attacks—and trying to boost their supply of electrical transmission parts just as Ukraine is hunting for the very same electrical supplies.
The limited global supply of electrical distribution equipment is a well-known global bottleneck. Electrical utilities have been struggling with electrical distribution equipment supply chain issues for years. Transformers—oil-filled structures that step voltage up or down—have been in critically short supply due to strong demand, and the COVID-19 pandemic, labor constraints and shipping issues haven’t helped. Russia’s invasion, and Ukraine’s scramble to recover from Russian attacks on critical electrical infrastructure, has already pushed transformer inventories to record lows and radically increased transformer prices worldwide. Continued attacks on electrical grids far away from the Ukraine battlefield could push the already-stressed electrical distribution equipment market into disarray, making it even harder for Ukraine to keep the lights on. For Russia, Power Disruption Is A Strategic Priority
While those responsible for the latest wave of U.S. power grid attacks are largely unknown, Russia has made no secret that it considers electricity generation and distribution to be a target, and has signaled for months that power and electrical generation was a primary facet of Russian strategy.
In October, in response to complaints about Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that “any critical infrastructure in transport, energy or communication infrastructure is under threat—regardless of what part of the world it is located, by whom it is controlled, laid in the seabed or on land.”
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