President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a dedicated long-range command to concentrate Ukraine’s drones, missiles and operational planning on weakening Moscow’s ability to sustain the war.
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has established a specialised military command to coordinate long-range strikes against targets inside Russia, formalising a campaign that has increasingly focused on oil refineries, fuel depots, ports and military logistics far beyond the front line.
Zelenskyy announced on July 10 that he had signed a decree creating the new command within Ukraine’s armed forces. He described its mission as delivering a “long-range, effectively global” impact on Russia and said it must concentrate all available resources on further reducing Moscow’s capacity to wage war.
The Ukrainian president did not identify the unit’s commander, saying only that the officer selected would be highly experienced. Details about its structure, weapons and operational authority were also withheld, reflecting the secrecy surrounding Ukraine’s expanding deep-strike programme.
The move appears intended to bring greater coordination to operations that have previously involved several branches of the armed forces, military intelligence and Ukraine’s domestic security service. By placing specialised personnel, intelligence, weapons and production resources under a dedicated command, Kyiv hopes to increase the frequency and effectiveness of attacks deep inside Russian territory.
Ukraine has sharply expanded its use of domestically produced long-range drones during 2026. Recent operations have struck refineries, oil terminals and port infrastructure across Russia, including facilities near the Baltic Sea and sites thousands of kilometres from Ukrainian-controlled territory.
A reported strike on the Omsk refinery in Siberia demonstrated the growing reach of Ukrainian systems. The attack was among the longest-range drone operations claimed during the war and prompted Zelenskyy to declare that even distant Russian regions were no longer beyond Ukraine’s reach.
Kyiv describes these attacks as “long-range sanctions,” arguing that damaging Russia’s energy industry reduces the revenue, fuel and logistical capacity available to support its invasion. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said Russian leaders should be forced to consider the vulnerability of their refineries and industrial facilities when deciding whether to continue the war.
The new command’s creation follows a series of strikes on the Ilsky and Ust-Luga refineries, fuel storage facilities and tankers operating near the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian officials say the campaign has contributed to shortages in parts of Russia and in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Moscow has responded with measures including temporary restrictions on diesel exports and tighter controls on shipping in strategically important waterways. Disruption around the Don-Azov channel could also affect Russian agricultural exports, underlining the wider economic consequences of Ukraine’s campaign against energy and transport infrastructure.
The strategy represents an attempt to offset Russia’s advantages in manpower, missiles and conventional firepower. While Ukrainian forces remain under pressure along sections of the front, deep strikes allow Kyiv to impose costs at considerable distances and force Russia to disperse air-defence systems across a vast territory.
Ukraine has also used shorter-range drones to attack ammunition, fuel and troop movements behind Russian lines and across occupied Ukrainian territory. These systems have increasingly disrupted supply routes and complicated Moscow’s efforts to reinforce frontline units.
Zelenskyy argues that the capability strengthens Ukraine’s position in any future negotiations by demonstrating that Russia cannot continue the war without experiencing significant economic and military consequences at home. In June, he said the strikes gave Kyiv the ability to approach possible peace talks on more equal terms.
The campaign nevertheless carries substantial risks. Russia has repeatedly retaliated against Ukrainian cities with large missile and drone barrages, targeting power facilities, industrial sites and residential areas. Recent attacks on Kyiv and other regions have killed and injured civilians while renewing Ukraine’s demands for additional Western air-defence systems.
Moscow portrays Ukrainian strikes inside Russia as terrorism and has accused Kyiv’s Western partners of enabling escalation. Ukraine maintains that it is exercising its right to defend itself against a country that launched a full-scale invasion and continues to attack Ukrainian territory.
The extent of direct Western involvement in the new command is unclear. Ukraine has developed many of its long-range drones domestically, giving it greater freedom to select targets than it has with certain foreign-supplied weapons, whose use may be restricted by donor governments.
Domestic production has therefore become central to Kyiv’s strategy. Ukrainian engineers have steadily increased drone range, payload and navigational accuracy, while military planners have refined tactics designed to overwhelm or evade Russian air defences.
A centralised command could help determine which targets offer the greatest strategic value, reduce duplication between agencies and link strikes more closely to developments on the battlefield. It may also give Kyiv greater control over a campaign whose political consequences extend far beyond the immediate damage caused.
Despite Zelenskyy’s use of the phrase “effectively global,” the announcement does not indicate that Ukraine intends to conduct operations worldwide. The wording appears to describe the expanding reach and strategic consequences of the programme rather than a literal global military mandate.
The effectiveness of the new structure will ultimately depend on Ukraine’s ability to sustain drone and missile production, gather reliable intelligence and penetrate Russia’s improving air-defence network. Moscow has adapted by deploying electronic warfare systems, mobile interception teams and additional protection around critical facilities.
Even so, the establishment of the command marks a significant evolution in Ukraine’s war strategy. Deep strikes are no longer being presented as isolated operations or symbolic demonstrations of reach. They are becoming an institutionalised component of Kyiv’s effort to weaken Russia’s economy, disrupt its military supply system and increase pressure on the Kremlin to reconsider the cost of continuing the war.
