Ukrainian long-range strike operations against Russian territory have intensified markedly, according to Ukraine’s military leadership.
In a Telegram update on 15 April, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian forces struck 76 industrial targets in Russia in March with long-range weapons.
He described the campaign as part of an effort “to reduce the enemy’s advance capabilities” by targeting military, defence-industry, and supporting infrastructure inside Russia.
Of the targets hit, 15 were oil refineries, underscoring the continued focus on Russia’s energy sector. These strikes on refineries and logistics hubs have been ongoing for several years, but Ukrainian officials say their effectiveness has increased markedly over the past six months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding such operations, noting that some allied countries facing rising fuel prices have expressed concern and asked Ukraine to limit attacks on energy infrastructure.
On the battlefield, Syrskyi said the situation remains highly tense, with Russian forces intensifying activity along the roughly 1,200-kilometre front line as spring conditions improve. He described sustained Russian pressure, including large-scale assaults, and claimed that Ukrainian forces are responding with more flexible, technology-driven tactics.
He also reported that between 17 and 20 March, Russia launched an offensive involving “tens of thousands of soldiers,” which he said caused more than 6,000 casualties. These figures have not been independently verified.
Attention is also focused on potential future operations in areas such as Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, where Ukrainian forces are reportedly preparing for continued Russian pressure and possible shifts along the front line.
Overall, Ukrainian officials are framing the current phase of the war as one of sustained attritional pressure, with long-range strikes increasingly integrated into the broader battlefield strategy.
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