Ukraine Establishes Long-Range Command to Escalate Strikes on Russian Infrastructure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a decree establishing a new "long-range impact" command within the country's armed forces, formalizing a strategy to escalate strikes deep inside Russia. The initiative aims to systematically target Russia's economic capacity to sustain its war effort, focusing on critical energy and logistics infrastructure.

Targeting Russia's War Economy

In his evening address, Zelenskiy stated the new unit is aimed at having a "global impact on Russia in response to this war." The objective is to concentrate military resources on weakening Moscow's war machine. "This command must focus 100% of available resources on further reducing Russia’s capacity to wage war," he said, according to a Reuters report.

For months, Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted Russian energy facilities, which Kyiv describes as a form of long-range sanctions against the key revenue source for Moscow's state budget. Recent strikes have become an almost daily occurrence, with Ukrainian officials framing them as a justified response to Russia's full-scale invasion.

Disruption to Russian Fuel and Exports

The campaign appears to be having a measurable effect on the Russian economy. According to the source, recent developments include:

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• A Russian ban on diesel exports, announced Wednesday, to secure domestic supply amid a fuel crisis in occupied Crimea and shortages in other regions.
• A reduction in domestic gasoline output to around 65% of capacity as a result of the strikes, according to industry sources and Reuters calculations.
• The temporary halt of shipping through a channel linking the Don River with the Sea of Azov, a move experts say could affect nearly one-quarter of Russian wheat exports in the area.

Ukraine's general staff reported that on Friday alone, strikes hit the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region and the Ust-Luga oil complex in the Leningrad region. An oil terminal and depot in the Rostov region were also targeted.

Strategic Context and Outlook

The creation of the new command marks a significant evolution in Ukraine's military strategy, shifting from attritional warfare to direct economic pressure. Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s drone forces commander, claimed that 10 tankers in the Sea of Azov were struck in the last five days, stating that Moscow’s "shadow fleet is shrinking."

Despite these tactical successes, experts cited by Reuters warn that it is too early to say Ukraine has turned the tide of the conflict. Ukraine remains vulnerable to Russian ballistic missiles, which Zelenskiy has described as Moscow’s remaining key advantage in the war.