Daniel Wolfram
Ukraine wants to end the war before winter arrives by hitting targets deep inside Russia
For a long time, Ukraine has been exclusively focused on defending its country from the invasion by Russia.
Now it seems like Ukraine wants to bring the fight back to Russia.
That may turn the tables on how the war is being fought.
A new strategy
Ukrainian military leaders have outlined a plan to use long-range operations designed to dismantle Russian war capabilities from the inside out. This aggressive push focuses on hitting critical fuel sites, energy grids, transport hubs, and naval bases deep inside Russian territory.
During a briefing on August 12, 2026, acting Defense Minister Major General Yevhen Khmara confirmed that Ukrainian forces are rapidly expanding their long-range strikes. The strategy aims to force Moscow into a just peace by relentlessly crippling its supply networks.
Targeting Russia
To prove the effectiveness of this new approach, Khmara pointed to a recent assault on Novorossiysk, a port city on the Black Sea.
Ukrainian military units launched a synchronized strike using traditional missiles alongside advanced jet drones and naval surface drones.
“Russia proved powerless against the synchronized operation of Ukrainian strike assets,” Khmara stated, crediting the achievement to better integration across the armed forces.
Escalating the war
Senior military officials recently met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to map out the next phase of these deep-territory strikes.
Khmara made the military’s intentions clear after the planning session. “Today, at a meeting chaired by the President, further joint steps were determined. Ukrainian operations will become increasingly complex to counter. Ukrainian weapons will only become more mass-produced. Strikes will be more precise. Russia will burn,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy and his advisors are beginning to outline a new, broader strategy. Ukraine and its international partners have established a joint action plan aimed at forcing Vladimir Putin to end the invasion.
Zelenskyy argued that ordinary Russian citizens must feel the consequences of the conflict on their own soil. Only then, he noted, will public pressure build against the Kremlin. As Moscow prepares for a crucial and grueling winter, Kyiv is urging Western allies to supply more air defense systems without delay.
