Bloomberg: Russia may be stockpiling missiles for winter strikes

Russia has significantly reduced its use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine since August while increasingly relying on jet-powered drones, a shift that could indicate Moscow is stockpiling missiles for potential winter strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Bloomberg reports.

According to the report, ballistic missiles are among the weapons that cause the most severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure, including energy facilities.

The potential accumulation of missiles comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of interceptors for its Patriot air defence systems, which Bloomberg identifies as one of the key risks ahead of the winter season.

The reduced use of ballistic missiles could suggest that Russia is preserving its stockpile for attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure during the colder months, which typically begin in late October or early November.

According to figures cited by Ukraine’s Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal in February 2026, Russia had launched 5,796 attacks against Ukraine’s energy system since the start of the full-scale conflict.

As of February 2026, Russia had also carried out more than 60 large-scale attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to the figures cited by the minister.

By Vafa Guliyeva