- Kyiv Says Strategic Attacks Continue Despite Ongoing Global Tensions
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russian industrial and energy infrastructure are continuing to inflict significant economic damage, while U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine remain uninterrupted despite broader geopolitical tensions involving Iran.
In remarks shared through voice messages to reporters, Zelensky said Ukraine’s operations are targeting sectors critical to Russia’s war effort.
“Of course, we are hitting what is painful for Russia, and it is very painful,” he said, adding that Russian losses from the strikes amount to tens of billions of dollars.
While those claims could not be independently verified, Russian authorities have acknowledged repeated attacks on infrastructure sites located more than 1,000 kilometers inside Russian territory.
Ukraine Expands Domestic Defense Capabilities
As Russia continues its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022, Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically developed drones and missile systems to strike military and industrial targets deep inside Russia.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to depend on Western military assistance, including U.S.-supplied Patriot Air Defense System batteries used to intercept Russian missile and drone attacks.
“We see that the Russians do not want to stop — they are hitting our energy sector and our people. We will respond,” Zelensky stated.
Prince Harry Visits Kyiv, Praises Ukrainian Resolve
Ukraine’s resilience against Russia’s larger military force also received renewed international recognition during a visit to Kyiv by Prince Harry on Thursday.
Speaking at a security conference in the Ukrainian capital, Prince Harry praised the country’s determination and unity.
“Ukrainians have demonstrated strength not just in bravery and capability, but in unity, in trust,” he said.
The Duke of Sussex arrived in Kyiv by overnight train from Poland, currently one of the primary routes into the Ukrainian capital.
Russian Drone and Missile Attacks Continue
Hours before the royal visit, Russian drone strikes hit the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing three people and injuring ten others, according to regional officials.
Authorities said a 13-story residential building and an administrative structure sustained damage in the attack.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 154 Ukrainian drones over several regions, including the annexed Crimea Peninsula, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea.
Major Fire at Russian Black Sea Port After Ukrainian Strike
Russian emergency services were also battling a large fire for a third consecutive day at the Black Sea port city of Tuapse after a reported Ukrainian drone strike earlier this week.
Regional officials said rainfall mixed with toxic residue from the blaze, covering several districts with black soot and raising chemical concentrations in the air above acceptable levels. Residents were advised to remain indoors.
Oil Facilities and Pipelines Reportedly Hit
For the second consecutive night, Russia’s Samara region was targeted by drone attacks.
In the city of Novokuybyshevsk, an attack on an industrial facility killed one person, according to local authorities.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that a petrochemical plant linked to Rosneft may have been among the targets.
Ukrainian officials also claimed strikes on oil infrastructure in Samara and a pipeline in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region transporting crude oil from Western Siberia to Tatarstan.
Economic Pressure Strategy Against Moscow
A senior Ukrainian security official said the attacks are designed to disrupt Russia’s energy logistics and weaken the financial resources used to sustain the war.
“The operation of main pipelines is disrupted, refinery efficiency decreases, and transportation costs rise,” the official said. “This directly affects revenues used to finance the war against Ukraine.”
War Enters New Phase of Deep-Strike Competition
The latest developments underscore how the conflict is increasingly shifting beyond frontline battles into a deeper campaign targeting infrastructure, logistics networks, and economic assets on both sides. As military pressure intensifies, Ukraine appears determined to maintain both defensive resilience and strategic reach deep into Russian territory.
BY: The Times Union
