Russia’s “in a state of war,” according to Vladimir Putin’s long-time spokesman.

No sh-t, you might be inclined to quip, darkly.

Despite being morbidly self-evident, Dmitry Peskov’s characterization of the situation in Ukraine was remarkable. Generally speaking, the Kremlin doesn’t like the word “war,” preferring instead Putin’s absurd euphemism for a conflict that’s killed hundreds of thousands of people: “Special military operation.”

Peskov went on to blame the West for Russia’s predicament. Were it not for US and European intervention on behalf of Kyiv, Russia wouldn’t be in a de facto war, he suggested. Another way to avoid finding yourself in a “state of war” — and I’m just tossing this out there — is to resist the temptation to invade your neighbor.

Although he didn’t say so explicitly, Peskov presumably meant that absent Western financial and military assistance to Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s “operation” would be over by now. In fact, there’d be a puppet government in Kyiv, Zelensky would probably be dead and the Russian military would be fighting a local insurgency.

That may be where things are headed anyway. After all, Russia has a narrow edge in what’s otherwise a bloody stalemate, and it’s pretty obvious by now that although Ukraine can count on moral support from D.C., Kyiv won’t be able to depend on financial and military support. Or at least not timely financial and military support, and probably not forever.

On Friday, the Russian military launched what Ukrainian officials described as the most aggressive attack against the country’s energy infrastructure since the onset of full-on hostilities two years ago. The Kremlin targeted the Dnipro hydro power plant in Zaporizhzhia, thermal power plants, railroads, power lines and local energy facilities including those around Kharkiv, where water service was disrupted and three quarters of a million households were left without power.

Following the strikes, Zelensky called the regime in Moscow “savages.” Putin, he despaired, is “at war with people’s everyday lives.” The bombardment came just a day after nearly three-dozen missiles fell on Kyiv.

Ultimately, more than a million people lost power in Friday’s attack. The death toll stood at five as of this writing.

Ukraine’s air defenses appear to be faltering, or struggling to keep up. Friday’s attack included more than 60 Iranian drones and nearly 90 missiles. The drones were mostly intercepted, but Kyiv managed to shoot down fewer than half of the missiles, a poor showing.

They (Ukraine) need help. And fast. Zelensky was adamant. “Russian missiles have no delays, unlike aid packages for Ukraine,” he said Friday. “Shahed drones have no indecision, unlike some politicians.”

He implored Washington to give Ukraine what it needs to defend Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. “Our partners know exactly what is needed,” he urged. “It is critical to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions.”

In that context, Peskov’s intentions on Friday seemed clear enough: He was aiming to dissuade Zelensky’s “partners” from providing additional aid by way of a thinly-veiled threat.

Although he later clarified that Russia still isn’t technically at war, Peskov was keen to suggest that ongoing support for Zelensky is seen in Moscow as tantamount to aggression against the Russian state.

Ukraine has “already become a war for us,” Peskov warned, in his initial remarks, adding that “everyone” should understand as much “for their own internal mobilization.”