Russia Promises To Increase Hits On Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure. Concerns Of a Winter Offensive Grow.

Russia claimed it is planning to conduct "massive strikes" against Ukraine's energy infrastructure in response to ongoing drone attacks against its economic targets.

"In accordance with the received instructions, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation began preparing to launch massive strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities as a response to the continuing attacks of the Kiev regime against the Russian civil infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities," the Russian Ministry of Defense wrote in a social media post.

The statement came after Russia had already launched significant strikes against Ukraine.

"Work continues in the village of Myla in the Kyiv region to eliminate the consequences of the Russian strike. Rescuers managed to extinguish most of the fires," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "Unfortunately, it is known that 38 people died from the strike and subsequent detonation. My condolences to the relatives and friends. Twenty people were injured, including two children. Four are considered missing."

Zelenskyy speculated that Russia was attempting to exhaust and overwhelm Ukrainian are defenses. "Now the Russians' tactics are to exhaust Ukraine, to exhaust Ukrainians, primarily our people. There are constant drone attacks - many jet "shaheeds". Our soldiers shoot down a significant part. There were almost one and a half thousand drones of all types in these four days alone," he said.

The massive Russian attacks come as Ukraine increasingly uses longer range weapons in an attempt to take the nearly five-year-old conflict to Russia. Earlier this month, Ukraine launched repeated strikes against Russian online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised a response, saying that Ukraine had opened "Pandora's box" by attacking the economic targets. Ukraine justified the attacks by saying the two companies were crucial in supplying the ongoing Russian war effort.

Ukraine has been speculating that Russia might be gearing up for a massive winter offensive. Zelenskyy has previously said that he expects Russia to mobilize as many as 300,000 troops to fuel a new offensive against Ukraine.