Kyiv, Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine would keep increasing the range of its strikes in Russia, citing a reported attack on a target more than 1,500 km away.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks inside Russia in recent weeks, aiming to hit oil refineries, depots and ports.
Zelenskiy cites strike more than 1,500 km away
Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s security service had reported a successful strike deep inside Russia, calling it “a new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia’s war” in a post on X.
He posted a video showing smoke billowing into the sky but did not identify the target. “The straight-line distance is over 1,500 kilometres. We will continue to extend these ranges,” he said.
SBU reports drone strike near Perm
Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, later said its drones struck a Russian oil pumping station near the city of Perm overnight, about 1,500 km from Ukraine.
Recent attacks and Russian response
On Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a major fire at a Russian oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, the third attack on that refinery in less than two weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack as evidence of increased Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets.
Ukraine cites expanded strike capability since 2022
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said that since 2022, when Russia launched the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has increased the range of its strikes against Russia by 170%.
Ukraine has built up a stock of domestically produced long-range weapons since the 2022 invasion.
In February, Ukrainian drones struck the Ukhta refinery in Russia’s Komi region, about 1,750 km from the Ukrainian border, regional officials said.
How do you think expanding the range of strikes could affect the course of the war?