Key Points and Summary – With the war at an impasse, Ukraine has adopted a new strategy: striking deep inside Russia to cripple its economy and force Putin to negotiate.
-Using a new generation of domestically-produced long-range weapons, including the 1,800-mile range “Flamingo” cruise missile, Ukrainian forces are targeting oil refineries and industrial sites.
Australia is sending 49 of its retired M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a move that bolsters Kyiv’s armored firepower but raises significant questions about survivability on the modern battlefield. While the donation is a welcome gesture, US officials have reportedly expressed private frustration, warning that Ukraine struggles to sustain the complex tanks and highlighting their vulnerability to cheap, top-attack FPV drones. The war in Ukraine has become a “drone war,” where even advanced main battle tanks are at constant risk. The effectiveness of these donated Abrams will ultimately depend on Ukraine’s ability to counter this pervasive threat.
-The goal is to make ordinary Russians “feel the cost of the war.”
This high-risk strategy of “long-range sanctions” appears to have the tacit approval of President Trump, who views it as a useful means of leverage to push Putin toward a peace deal.
Kyiv to Strike ‘Deep’ Into Russia to Push for Peace
The war between Ukraine and Russia remains at an impasse.
US-led peace talks over the summer went nowhere, but Kyiv still believes it can force Vladimir Putin’s hand by striking deep inside his country.
Oil refineries, rail hubs, and industrial sites have all gone up in flames in recent weeks.
According to the New York Times, Ukrainian officials say this new wave of drone and missile attacks is designed to make ordinary Russians feel the cost of their government’s war.
“Putin has been offered many times to end the war or at least cease fire,”President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a recent address.
“He spurned all proposals: ours and America’s. So it’s only fair that Russia bears the war’s full cost.”
It’s the latest reinvention of Ukraine’s war strategy. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Zelensky inspired a grassroots defense that stopped Russia’s initial advance
Then came the long push for Western tanks and artillery to hold the line. Now, the emphasis is on hitting Russia’s economy and morale, what Zelensky calls “long-range sanctions.”
Well aware of the precariousness of global support, Ukraine has been investing in a burgeoning domestic weapons sector.
Its new “Flamingo” cruise missile, revealed in August, is estimated to have a range exceeding 1,800 miles.
This means this new weapon could strike far into Russia’s Ural Mountain Range. Then there are its subsonic Neptune missiles, previously used against sea targets, but which have now been altered for use on land.
Smaller drones are being constructed with lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and Styrofoam, but are able to evade Russian defenses for hundreds of miles.
This strategy has already yielded dramatic results, with refineries in western Russia set ablaze, causing drivers to queue for hours for fuel.
But the risks are clear.
Putin has already warned that reports that Washington could soon supply Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles would mark a “new stage of escalation.”
Still, President Donald Trump, who has revived direct peace talks, seems to view Ukraine’s strikes as useful leverage.
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country,” he claimed in August, hinting that Kyiv’s growing strike capacity might help push Putin toward a deal.
But could this plan really push Russia towards a peace deal more palatable to Ukraine? Only time, and potentially a lot more damage to both people and property, will tell.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
More Military
Army MV-75 Has a “Digital Backbone” to Stand Up to China in the Pacific
The F-35 Stealth Fighter Great Leap Forward Has Arrived
New Challenger 3 NATO Tank Is Built for Just 1 Mission It Can’t Fulfill
Sunk 10,000 Feet Down: A U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Was Lost, And No One Knows Why
