Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the launch of a 40-day “influence operation” against Russia, saying its goal is to push the Kremlin toward ending the war. He said the operation would be carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, without providing further details.
After meeting with SBU chief Yevhen Khmara, Zelensky said he had heard a report on a “long-range sanctions plan,” “medium-range sanctions,” and the work of the Alpha special operations center on the front line. According to him, the SBU has achieved strong results in defending Ukrainian positions through the use of drones, while Alpha is leading in strikes against Russian troops and equipment.
The outlet says Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil depots and industrial facilities have coincided with a widening fuel crisis, with restrictions on gasoline sales imposed in more than 20 Russian regions. According to Ukrainian media sources, U.S. President Donald Trump also supports continued military pressure, believing such pressure is what makes “real diplomacy” possible.
Overnight on June 26, Ukraine launched a new large-scale strike on Russian regions. The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 660 Ukrainian drones during the night. The outlet Agentstvo described it as the largest nighttime drone attack of this kind on Russia’s rear areas.
In Novomoskovsk, Tula region, the Azot chemical plant was again reported as a target. According to Astra and eyewitness footage, the strike also affected a power station that supplies heat and hot water to about 60% of the city’s housing stock and social facilities; a fire broke out there. Governor Dmitry Milyayev said 157 drones were shot down in the region, that an industrial site was damaged, and that a private house in Shchyokinsky district was hit, injuring a woman. Regional authorities said environmental monitoring had begun and that readings remained normal.
In annexed Sevastopol, after strikes on bridges, fuel trucks, and power infrastructure, residents reported power cuts, partial suspension of public transport, communications problems, and the closure of some shops and markets. A day earlier, temporary electricity restrictions had been introduced across annexed Crimea after a drone attack on the city’s main electrical substation.
“We’ve had power disruptions for a second day. Yesterday there was none at all, today it’s partial and not in every district,” one resident told Agentstvo.
Residents said the situation was worsened by gasoline shortages, which disrupted deliveries and small business operations; some areas were said to have empty store shelves. Representatives of Crimea’s tourism and restaurant sectors asked the Russian-installed local authorities for support, saying June revenues at hotels and restaurants had fallen by about half from a year earlier. At the same time, long lines formed at the Crimean Bridge: as of 12:00 Moscow time, the outlet said 1,850 vehicles were trying to leave Crimea for Russia, compared with 250 heading toward the peninsula.