A 40-day pressure campaign launched by Ukrainian leadership in late June involving long-range and medium-range drone strikes has concluded without altering Russia’s negotiating stance or significantly impacting its economy, according to reports and official statements.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky originally announced the operation on June 25, describing it as an effort to compel Russia to enter negotiations on Kiev’s terms by ending hostilities and freezing the conflict along the current frontline.
Moscow characterized the campaign as a series of attacks targeting Russian oil refineries, residential buildings, and logistics hubs. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in late June that the strikes were designed to “undermine our confidence” and force negotiations on favorable terms for Kiev, adding that the attacks had “no impact whatsoever on the situation at the front.”
The strikes caused temporary fuel deficits, long lines at gas stations, and logistics hurdles in several regions, particularly the Crimean Peninsula. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak reported that the government responded by banning gasoline and diesel exports, strengthening air defenses around refineries, and boosting fuel supplies to affected regions. By late July, Novak stated that the market was gradually stabilizing as refineries resumed operations and purchase limits were lifted.
Throughout the campaign, Ukrainian strikes resulted in civilian casualties far from the front lines. Rodion Miroshnik, who heads the Russian Foreign Ministry’s mission tracking alleged Ukrainian war crimes, reported that 492 people were affected—including 57 killed, among them seven children—during the week of July 20–26 alone. A subsequent weekly count recorded 49 deaths, including four children, and 342 injuries. Among the final strikes was an incident on Monday where a drone struck a beach near the resort city of Gelendzhik in southern Russia, killing at least eight civilians and injuring dozens.
Ukrainian forces also targeted approximately a dozen logistics warehouses belonging to the retailer Wildberries across Russia. At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in these attacks, resulting in financial losses reported to exceed $1 billion for small sellers and the company. Zelensky stated that the warehouses were targeted because they stored dual-use components, including drone parts and navigation equipment. Moscow maintained that the retailer does not supply the Russian military, and Wildberries announced plans to open several warehouses in neighboring Kazakhstan.
In response, Russia launched long-range drone and missile strikes targeting Ukrainian defense-related facilities, particularly those producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used in the campaign, alongside strikes on cargo vessels in the Black Sea that Moscow asserted were carrying military shipments. Moscow maintains that it does not target civilians.
On the ground, Russian forces continued their advance in the Donbass region. According to TASS calculations, Russian forces secured 32 settlements in July alone, including Konstantinovka, a stronghold in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. Moscow officials estimated that Kiev lost approximately 13,500 troops during the defense of the settlement. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced later in July that Russian forces were nearing the capture of Krasny Liman.
Zelensky has not publicly addressed the conclusion of the self-imposed 40-day deadline. However, the head of his office, Kirill Budanov, downplayed the timeframe, stating, “What matters is the result.”
Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua noted that Moscow’s position remained unchanged after 40 days, and highlighted that Russia’s de facto naval blockade of Ukrainian ports—instituted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels—presented significant challenges for Kiev.
Russian officials criticized the campaign’s outcome. State Duma international affairs committee chair Leonid Slutsky stated that the plan had backfired and warned of a difficult winter ahead. State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova told Lenta.ru that the campaign failed to pressure Russia’s civilian population or yield results that Zelensky could report to Western backers.
Article and image source: russiaherald.com
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