Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Campaign Against Russian Energy and Logistics

The Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) of Ukraine have executed a massive surge in long-range operations, reporting a 1,150 percent increase in successful deep strikes within Russian territory since early 2026. Under a 40-day campaign launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 26, Ukraine used upgraded FP-1 drones to disable the Omsk oil refinery—Russia's largest—and the Moscow Refinery. These strikes triggered a Russian fuel crisis, driving refining levels to a two-decade low and forcing the Kremlin to import fuel from nations including India and Japan.

Simultaneously, the USF and the Security Service of Ukraine launched Operation MoLoChKa on July 6 to disrupt maritime logistics. Between August 1 and 8, the USF struck 12 vessels from Russia's shadow fleet in the Black and Azov seas, contributing to a larger total of 218 targeted vessels. USF Commander Robert Brovdi reported that navigation through the Kerch Strait has been indefinitely blocked since July 10. The military branch also conducted the Crimean Switch Off campaign, targeting electrical facilities in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Recent activity peaked on August 8, when the USF hit 1,716 Russian targets in 24 hours. On August 9, Ukraine struck a Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg, over 2,000 kilometers from the border. Russia responded with reciprocal Geran drone strikes on UAV warehouses in the Kharkiv region and a market in the Sumy region that wounded 10 people.