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The strategy is already proving very effective.
Wars are often won far from the front lines.
Disrupting an enemy’s supply chain can quietly reshape an entire conflict long before infantry forces ever clash.
Ukraine’s military command knows this, which is why it is launching a new operation:
“Logistics Lockdown”.
Choking the lines
According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the initiative is intended to cripple Russian operations. It targets warehouses, command posts, and deep transport routes.
By wiping out these vital hubs, Kyiv aims to completely stall the enemy’s offensive momentum.
To achieve this, the military is scaling up its use of mid-range strike drones. These are specialized weapons designed to fly tens or hundreds of kilometers into enemy territory.
Ukrainian forces have already increased these deep strikes fourfold in recent months, causing a noticeable drop in Russian frontline assaults.
The human cost for Moscow also continues to rise dramatically. Official data shows that Russian forces lost 67 soldiers for every square kilometer captured in October. By April, that figure had skyrocketed to 179 troops per square kilometer. Total monthly losses now exceed 35,000 personnel.
Cash for drones
Significant funding is already powering the first phase. According to the defense ministry, officials have sent 5 billion Ukrainian hryvnias (nearly 113 million USD) directly to the highest-performing frontline units.
This funding moves through a digital system called ePoints, allowing brigades to purchase advanced drones immediately.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative.
“Our current task, as directed by the President, is to maximize mid-range strike capabilities and, in close coordination with the military, impose a complete logistics lockdown on the enemy. In the first phase of the program, the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff have already allocated an additional UAH 5 billion directly to the military to procure modern mid-range strike capabilities,” Fedorov stated.
Technology has given Ukraine an edge, especially after Russian troops lost access to Starlink satellite services. Next, large public tenders will scale up production. This centralized bidding process is designed to boost competition among manufacturers while aggressively reducing corruption risks.
Fedorov believes these changes will quickly shift the reality on the ground. “As early as this summer, the effects of centralized mid-range strike procurement will already be felt on the battlefield. The enemy will no longer feel safe, even far from the front lines,” the minister said.
Already working
According to the Institute for the Study of War, the tactics behind “Logistics Lockdown” are already showing results.
The think tank noted in its May 28 update on the war that the intermediate-range strike campaign by Ukrainian forces has produced notable operational effects.
The analysts assess that Ukraine has managed to create a deep zone of drone activity behind the Russian front line, making it so difficult for Russian forces to even reach the battlefield that additional Russian mobilization may not improve Russia’s performance in the war — simply because new recruits and supplies cannot reach the front line.
Sources: Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, Institute for the Study of War
