Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister also known by the call sign “Flash,” said Russian forces are likely to carry out regular strikes in the near future at a depth of up to 100 kilometers from the front line. His remarks were cited by the news agency UNN.
“The closer the sides get to possible peace talks, the more they are preparing the ground for them. The war has moved from frontline combat into a phase of deep strikes and mid-range strikes,” Beskrestnov said.
In his assessment, Ukraine has a certain advantage in this situation because Russia has more critical facilities tied to the war effort, and protecting them reliably is difficult. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine remains more vulnerable because, in his words, the opposing side is no longer selecting targets carefully on Ukrainian territory.
Beskrestnov said the threat extends beyond major facilities to a much broader range of infrastructure. He listed gas stations, post offices, warehouses, businesses, construction and agricultural equipment bases, railway facilities, roads, and electrical substations, including lower-capacity ones. In his view, the situation is “absolutely senseless,” as both sides are systematically destroying each other’s infrastructure.
As Meduza notes, in the spring of 2026 Ukrainian forces stepped up long-range drone strikes inside Russia. Drones hit every major Russian oil refinery at least once, and the resulting disruptions, according to the outlet’s assessment, became one of the factors behind the fuel crisis in Russia.
At the same time, according to the report, Russian forces have been striking gas stations in Ukraine every day since June 17. Ukraine has also intensified attacks on what it calls the medium rear. In particular, in May the Ukrainian armed forces increased strikes on the R-280 Novorossiya highway, which links the Rostov region with Crimea. In addition, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, has regularly reported drone strikes on electrical substations in Crimea and in the Russian-occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. At the same time, as Ukrainska Pravda reported citing interviewed military personnel, these “mid-range strikes” have not yet had a significant impact on the situation at the front.