
Ukraine has intensified drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, hitting strategic targets near Moscow and signaling a new phase of the war, where the goal is not only to defend Ukrainian territory, but also to increase the political, economic and military cost to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, one of the latest targets was the Space Communications Center in Dubna, near Moscow, used by the Russian military to gather information and coordinate operations in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
This was the second attack on this facility in a few days.
Zelensky warned that similar attacks are being prepared against other strategic Russian facilities, stressing that the drone campaign is far from over.
Another important target has been a large oil refinery near Moscow, which supplies about 40% of the fuel market in the Russian capital region.
Reports suggest that the damage caused could put the refinery out of operation for the remainder of 2026.
Analysts believe that these attacks have two main goals: to create uncertainty among the Russian population by showing that Moscow could also be hit, and to damage the financial resources that support the Kremlin's war.
The Russian economy continues to rely heavily on exports of oil and energy products. Attacks on energy infrastructure could reduce Russian state revenues and create fuel shortages in some regions of the country.
Militarily, strikes on communications and logistics centers are intended to make it difficult for Russian forces to coordinate. According to Ukrainian and Western estimates, Russia has suffered over 1.3 million casualties and injuries since the launch of the large-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian authorities have warned that the coming weeks will be marked by a new campaign of pressure on Russia. On June 25, Zelensky announced the launch of a 40-day operation aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow to end the war.
Although the drone strikes are not expected to force Russia to immediately withdraw from the conflict, they are showing that Ukraine is capable of striking important targets away from the front lines, challenging the Kremlin's ability to guarantee the security of the capital and Russian strategic infrastructure.