Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “bring the war home to Russia” as Kyiv’s deep-strikes within Kremlin territory bite hard on its economy and citizens. The threat was issued as Kyiv’s forces struck both sides of President Vladimir Putin’s £3 billion Kerch Bridge, linking Russia to illegally occupied Crimea.
Deep Strikes on Russian Energy and Infrastructure
Ukraine’s deep-strikes on Russia’s energy supplies, including a major Moscow refinery hit just last week, have forced a ban on gas sales to Crimean civilians. Strikes on both sides of the Kerch Strait have created a nightmare for Russian forces as Kyiv attempts to cut off Putin’s forces and cripple his war chest simultaneously.
The two-pronged assault is reminding Russian people they are at war in Ukraine. Zelensky revealed that Putin’s forces have increased missile and drone attacks on civilians, launching nearly 2,200 attack drones, over 1,800 guided aerial bombs, and 87 missiles at Ukrainian territory over the past week. The brutal bombing campaign caused fatalities in the Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Poltava regions.
Zelensky's Defiant Statement
Zelensky declared: “During wartime, fury is an absolutely justified emotion for our people. But fury must be followed by action. It can’t just be fury and nothing more. The Russians must feel that the war must return to Russia, to the territory of the country that launched the aggression.”
As well as cutting off gas sales to civilians in Crimea, supplies have been severely restricted throughout Russia due to Ukraine’s long-range attacks. Sales in Crimea will be reserved only for military and security use. In the past 24 hours, a Russian drone attack killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, and missiles were fired at Odesa.
Impact on the Kerch Bridge and Russian Forces
The Kerch Bridge has been hit multiple times by Ukrainian special forces, missiles, and drone attacks in a bid to cut off essential supplies to Russian forces. Inside Ukraine, much of the Russian advance has ground to a halt because of supply shortages and frequent behind-the-lines attacks by Ukraine’s troops. In one snapshot of the conflict, Ukraine has driven back Russian troops in the heavily fought-over region of Pokrovsk, forcing Putin’s military to protect their rear.
A series of stunning Ukrainian special forces assaults is severely hindering the Russian advance. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that “elements of the Russian 90th Tank Division operating in the Pokrovsk direction may have redeployed back to the Novopavlivka direction or to defend against Ukrainian counterattacks.” It added: “Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil and transport infrastructure are already disrupting Russian logistics, straining energy supplies, and worsening fuel shortages across occupied Crimea.”
