In addition to Putin’s two declared goals in Ukraine, “denazification” and “demilitarisation,” we should think about adding a third, which is to deprive the country of access to any source of traditional energy like coal, hydro, thermal, or nuclear power stations, most of which are stationed in Eastern and Central Ukraine. A special component of Moscow’s strategy appears to be to gain control over the nuclear plants, uranium deposits, and to destroy the infrastructure enabling Ukraine to restore nuclear weapons.
