Ukrainian forces have shown they can strike targets across much of Russian territory, from oil facilities to weapons factories and bomber bases. The campaign has left fewer safe zones inside Russia, with at least one refinery attack sending Muscovites scrambling amid explosions and "black rain."
President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strategy as "long-range sanctions," a pointed reference to strikes hundreds of miles deep. The Ukrainian military's tools and tactics have grown increasingly sophisticated, allowing it to hit assets that were previously considered out of reach.
Russia now faces fuel shortages due to repeated refinery strikes, according to Ukrainian officials. Zelensky claimed Moscow moved the bulk of its air defenses to protect key areas like central Moscow and a presidential residence, leaving other targets exposed. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged "problems" and "certain shortages" but attempted to downplay their significance.
The strikes have not gone unanswered. Russian forces hammered Kyiv overnight, killing at least 21 people, and continue to push forward along the Donetsk front lines despite heavy casualties. The back-and-forth underscores a war of attrition with no clear end in sight.
Putin's downplaying of the shortages suggests the Kremlin is wary of acknowledging the strategic impact of Ukraine's long-range campaign, even as evidence mounts that the pressure is mounting on Russian logistics and morale.