The battle for Bakhmut, a city on the Ukrainian-Russian border, has been raging for months now. As the fighting intensifies, and Russian forces continue to advance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that the war against Russia has the potential to stretch another year. To prepare the country for what is to come, Ukrainian defense and energy officials are preparing to reinforce their infrastructure and decentralize the energy system, creating independent power sources.

Just last week, Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary force, said that if Wagner was forced to retreat from Bakhmut, the entire front would collapse. Prigozhin has been openly critical of Russian defense chiefs and top generals, accusing them of treason for withholding supplies of ammunition, and claiming that if Wagner retreats, they will be remembered as people who took the main step towards losing the war.