Oct 19, 2026 · 29 min
Russia targets Ukraine’s cities as U.S. support frays
Inside Putin’s Plan to Cripple Ukraine This Winter
The episode examines whether Russia can exploit Ukraine’s weakened air defenses and strained relationship with Washington to make cities unlivable this winter.
- 1Russia is expanding missile and drone attacks from front-line targets to Ukrainian cities, producing some of the war’s highest civilian casualties.
- 2Ukraine faces shortages of Patriot interceptors and growing difficulty stopping faster drones as its air defenses weaken.
- 3A Russian plan targets power, heating, water, and sewage systems to pressure civilians while disputes threaten vital U.S. support.
Don't miss
The episode details a Russian plan to attack power, heating, water, and sewage systems until Ukrainian cities become nearly unlivable.
The brief
Ukraine enters winter under mounting pressure: Russia is intensifying attacks on cities while President Trump’s public feud with President Zelensky strains Washington and Kyiv’s relationship.
Constant Méheut describes a bombing campaign that increasingly reaches far beyond the front, exposing residents of Kyiv and other cities to sustained missile and drone attacks.
Ukraine’s air defenses are running short of Patriot interceptors, while faster jet-powered drones make it harder to protect cities from increasingly large barrages.
A Russian plan obtained by Ukraine outlines attacks on power plants, heating, water, and sewage systems—an effort to make major cities nearly unlivable during winter.
The episode weighs whether Ukraine can endure and innovate as disputes over Starlink, Starshield, and intelligence warnings raise fears that crucial U.S. support is being restricted.
A closing briefing turns to France, where anti-government protests escalated into riots that damaged buildings, led to thousands of arrests, and injured hundreds of police officers.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.