Ukraine is systematically intensifying its campaign of asymmetric warfare, targeting Russian military infrastructure and logistics hubs deep behind enemy lines. In his latest address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine’s plan for ‘long-range sanctions’ and ‘middle-range strikes’ (midlstrikes) is being actively executed as a direct response to Russian aggression. Zelenskyy emphasized that domestic defense units are achieving highly tangible results, gradually crippling the Kremlin’s offensive capacity.
A key element of this strategy is the rapid development and deployment of long-range unmanned systems. Ukraine’s newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) have been at the forefront of these operations, executing high-precision “deepstrikes.” The primary focus of these missions has been targeting the military and fuel logistics along the temporarily occupied coast of the Sea of Azov, a vital corridor for Russian forces.
Recent operations have yielded significant results. Ukrainian forces successfully struck high-value targets in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, including two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and an Iskander-M ballistic missile launcher. Concurrently, coordinated drone strikes targeted major oil facilities, including a fuel depot in the Krasnodar Krai, an oil terminal in occupied Feodosia, Crimea, and even a shadow fleet tanker utilized by Russia to bypass international sanctions.
The strategic repercussions of these strikes are already visible. The destruction of fuel depots has triggered a notable fuel shortage in occupied Crimea, complicating Russian military movements and logistics. Furthermore, targeting strategic aviation and ballistic missile launchers directly degrades Russia’s capability to launch devastating attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
These coordinated operations prove that Ukraine is capable of reaching deeper into Russian territory with growing frequency and precision. By destroying fuel logistics and advanced military hardware at their source, Ukraine is effectively shifting the dynamics of the war. Rather than merely defending against incoming attacks, Kyiv is systematically dismantling the resource base that fuels Russia’s ongoing aggression, signaling to Moscow that its campaign cannot be sustained indefinitely.