Ukraine Could Take the War into a New Phase, Says Palisa

Ukraine is gradually expanding its capabilities to launch long-range strikes against Russia’s strategic targets and the infrastructure that supports its economy. This could push the war into a new phase, according to Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Office of the President.

According to Palisa, Russia is not currently showing any willingness to abandon the war or its objectives. The Kremlin also understands that defeat in the war against Ukraine could have serious consequences for the Russian leadership.

At the same time, Ukraine is working to reduce Russia’s ability to finance its military operations. One of the key tools for this is long-range strikes.

“Deepstrike, for example. Just two years ago, we didn’t have the capability to strike at such a range. Now, the population of the Russian Federation is feeling the effects of these strikes,” Palisa noted.

The representative of the Office of the President emphasized that Ukraine is gradually increasing its ability to strike “vulnerable points” and targets critical to the functioning of the Russian state and its military machine.

In his assessment, long-range strikes have not only an immediate effect but also a cumulative effect that could, in the long run, change the nature of the war.

“A certain shift of the war into a new phase,” Palisa said, describing the possible outcome of such an approach.

These are targets whose destruction does not necessarily immediately change the situation on the battlefield, but at the same time can have a significant long-term impact on the Russian economy and military capabilities.

Among the priority targets, Palisa cited infrastructure related to energy exports. The energy sector, in particular, remains one of the key sources of revenue for the Russian budget.

Ukraine can also continue to strike at “shadow fleet” vessels, logistical infrastructure, and networks that provide transportation and supplies to Russia.

“These strikes also have both primary and secondary effects,” Palisa explained.

Ukraine is already actively developing the production of long-range drones, which are used to strike military and strategic targets on Russian territory.

According to the data cited, Ukraine currently produces and deploys an average of more than 300 long-range drones per day.

Thus, an increase in the number of long-range weapons and an expansion of the list of potential targets could be one of the factors changing the nature of the war, particularly by intensifying pressure on the Russian economy, logistics, and energy sector.

He spoke about this during a meeting with journalists.

The Russian military leadership has been tasked by the Kremlin with developing several possible scenarios for an operation in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv. At the same time, Ukraine has not yet detected the formation of a Russian offensive force in these directions.

Russia has not ruled out the theoretical possibility of an offensive from the Bryansk region toward the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. However, no Russian troops have been detected in the Bryansk region along this route at this time, although Ukrainian military personnel have observed Russian military equipment along the border.

Ukrainian defense forces have almost completely liberated the Dnipropetrovsk region from Russian troops. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, approximately 10 square kilometers remain under Russian control—three small villages where, as the president asserts, there are virtually no Russian troops left.