Why Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s businesses, explained

In a span of just one week, Russia unleashed nearly 2,000 attack drones, over 1,600 glide bombs, and 31 missiles, including North Korean ballistic missiles, upon Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky on his Telegram channel on August 30. The Kremlin has been increasingly launching daytime kamikaze drone assaults on Kyiv, keeping the capital in a constant state of alert, with air raid alarms constantly triggering and ceasing.

The attacks have struck homes, businesses, and other civilian facilities, as reported by the president. Previously, Russia's primary targets were at night; however, a new tactic of prolonged daytime attacks emerged earlier in the week. The capital is now enduring nearly non-stop drone assaults for four days, with explosions and air defense fire audible to Kyiv Independent journalists during the mornings and afternoons of August 30.

The day prior, an attack claimed the life of a 2-year-old girl in Kyiv and wounded 12 others, while a strike on an ammunition depot in Myla, a village near Kyiv, resulted in at least 38 deaths on August 28. The government is actively seeking ways to help citizens navigate life under persistent air raid alerts, including maintaining public transportation and businesses operational, some of which ceased operations during alerts, as reported by Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi on August 29.

The enemy seeks to cripple economic operations in the capital and major cities; thus, the government's strategies and response mechanisms must adapt accordingly. Prolonged air raid alerts not only endanger lives but also disrupt the functioning of businesses, logistics, transportation, schools, kindergartens, and other facets of daily life, affecting both safety and economic activities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine prepares for another winter under attack as summer draws to a close. According to Russian state media TASS on August 30, the Kremlin’s Defense Ministry is gearing up for massive strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for the country's fifth wartime winter. Over recent months, Moscow has heavily bombarded central, eastern, and southern Ukrainian regions, targeting businesses and crucial economic infrastructure like ports, gas stations, and supermarket supply chains.

These strikes have hindered Ukraine's economic growth and made life more challenging for civilians by limiting access to fuel and food. In response, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure and e-commerce giants, such as Wildberries and Ozon, in an attempt to disrupt cash flows to Moscow's war effort. The escalating attacks are causing concern for the Kremlin as Russians face potential shortages of fuel and goods throughout the country.