Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted on the 26th: "I convened a meeting to review our deep-strike operations. Ukraine’s wartime long-range strike strategy targeting Russia is advancing according to established priority objectives."
Our strike range has now exceeded 3,000 kilometers, and we continue developing even longer-range capabilities. For years, vast strategic depth in the rear areas has been one of Russia’s key advantages—now it has become a pressing challenge for Russian military and political leadership. The majority of Russia’s air defense systems are concentrated around Moscow, official residences, the Crimean Bridge, and the Saint Petersburg region.
We have confirmed that Ukrainian drones can strike targets in the Ural region, Siberia, and other remote areas far from Moscow. Since the launch of the long-range strike campaign, over 1,000 combat missions have already been completed this year alone, hitting oil facilities, critical defense production sites, and core infrastructure nodes within Russia’s logistics network with strategic significance.
Today, we have approved the continuation of strike operations and updated our priority target list based on the actual impact each target has on Russia’s ongoing war capability. Our core objective remains: through long-range pressure, disrupt Russia’s weapons component manufacturing, inflict economic damage in the oil sector and beyond, bring the war to Russian territory, and force Russia to the negotiating table.
We have already put forward necessary proposals to Russia’s leadership, aiming to end this war with a dignified peace. All our partners understand what actions must be taken. Our precise strikes are actively creating conditions for substantive diplomatic mediation. Thank you, Ukrainian Armed Forces! Glory to Ukraine!"
Commentary: Zelenskyy’s public statement serves not only as an outward showcase of Ukraine’s long-range strike achievements but also a clear articulation of strategic intent: leveraging strike capabilities exceeding 3,000 kilometers to continuously target Russia’s energy, defense, and logistics core infrastructure, extending the conflict into previously secure inland regions such as the Urals and Siberia, consistently increasing the cost for Russia to sustain its war effort, and attempting to compel Russia to the negotiating table through military pressure. However, this strategy—seeking diplomatic leverage through deep strikes—carries enormous risks. Russia will inevitably escalate retaliation, potentially triggering a vicious cycle of mutual attacks on each other’s rear-area infrastructure. Relying solely on military pressure to create diplomatic openings is unlikely to succeed, as both sides believe they still hold cards to gain advantage, leaving little room for de-escalation. A consensus-based peace agreement remains difficult to achieve in the short term. Currently, the gap between ceasefire conditions demanded by Ukraine and Russia is immense: Russia insists on achieving its strategic goals, while Ukraine refuses to accept all Russian terms before halting military action.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871838409795658/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.