Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia’s economic and military infrastructure with a major overnight strike targeting an oil depot, logistics facilities near Moscow and six Russian vessels in the Black Sea, in a fresh attempt to increase pressure on the Kremlin’s war machine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the operation on Sunday, saying Ukrainian forces had responded to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities by striking targets linked to Moscow’s ability to sustain the war.
“We are responding, justly, to every Russian strike against our cities and communities,” Zelensky said, arguing that the only path towards ending the conflict was to increase pressure on Russia.
The Ukrainian president said the naval targets included two tankers and four dry cargo vessels, while the land strikes hit facilities more than 400 kilometres from Ukraine’s border, demonstrating Kyiv’s expanding ability to conduct deep operations inside Russian territory.
The most significant reported damage occurred in Moscow Oblast, where footage circulating online appeared to show thick smoke rising over the city of Podolsk, around 40 kilometres south of the Kremlin, following a reported strike on an oil facility.
Additional fires were reported at logistics sites in the region, including a warehouse belonging to major Russian retailer Wildberries and facilities at the Yuzhnye Vorota logistics park. Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether all targeted locations had direct military links, although Zelensky said some warehouses struck in the operation were connected to Russia’s armed forces.
Zelenskyy published a video that showed smoke rising over Moscow Oblast again
Ukraine's long-range strikes hit logistics facilities and an oil depot there, targets sitting more than 400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border
🎥 Zelenskiy pic.twitter.com/2uabtyWdJI— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 20, 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed more than 400 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the Russian capital region, with Russian air defences intercepting dozens of incoming weapons.
The claims could not immediately be independently verified, but the reported scale of the attack highlights the growing challenge facing Russian air defences as Ukrainian long-range drones increasingly reach targets hundreds of kilometres from the battlefield.
The latest strikes form part of Kyiv’s wider strategy of targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, which Ukraine argues plays a direct role in financing and supplying Moscow’s invasion.
Oil refineries, fuel depots and logistics centres have become priority targets as Ukraine attempts to create economic pressure inside Russia. The campaign has already contributed to disruptions across parts of Russia’s fuel market, with some regions experiencing shortages, rising prices and restrictions on supply.
For the Kremlin, the attacks represent a new battlefield challenge: protecting critical infrastructure far from the front line while maintaining military operations in Ukraine.
Russia has responded by expanding air defence deployments around Moscow, including positioning newer systems closer to the capital.
But Ukraine’s latest operation sends a clear message: the war is no longer confined to the front line.
As Kyiv seeks to weaken Russia’s ability to finance and supply the invasion, the Kremlin faces mounting pressure at home — from disrupted energy networks, vulnerable logistics chains and a population increasingly exposed to the costs of a war fought thousands of miles away.
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