Offensive against oil facilities, Crimea and Moscow intensifies

SBU-led long-range drone operations seen expanding

Russia reportedly repositioning air defenses toward capital

Firefighters work at the scene of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday (local time), amid continued Russian attacks on the country. [Reuters]
Firefighters work at the scene of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday (local time), amid continued Russian attacks on the country. [Reuters]

Ukraine's long-range offensive against Russian energy facilities is expected to intensify after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he had approved a new operation designed to pressure Moscow into peace negotiations.

Zelensky said Friday on social media that he had "approved a 40-day influence operation by the Security Service of Ukraine aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war."

He added that the security service had "shown the best results on the front line for months, maintaining a defensive posture using various types of drones," praising the agency's operational capabilities.

The Security Service of Ukraine, known by its Ukrainian acronym SBU, is an intelligence agency responsible for counterintelligence and counterterrorism. It has recently emerged as the lead organization behind long-range drone strikes on Russian territory. In April, the SBU directed an attack on an oil pumping station in Russia's Perm region, roughly 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Zelensky did not spell out how the 40-day operation would be carried out. However, given that he publicly stated the goal of pressuring Russia to end the war, the offensive against energy infrastructure and military-related facilities is expected to expand.

Ukraine has been systematically striking Russian oil, electricity and other energy facilities in recent months. The strategy aims to disrupt the fuel supply chain sustaining Russia's war effort while increasing domestic pressure on Moscow, improving Ukraine's leverage in any negotiations.

The geographic scope of the attacks is also widening. With Ukrainian drones flying in large numbers toward Moscow, Russia has begun repositioning some of its air defense systems closer to the capital.

Crimea, which Russia forcibly annexed in 2014 and has controlled since, has also become a major target of Ukraine's offensive. Disruptions to electricity and oil supplies have created an ongoing energy shortage on the peninsula.


kwater@heraldcorp.com