‘Long-range sanctions’: Ukraine hopes strikes cause Russia fear and losses

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from eastern Ukraine, where it was given rare access to one of the country’s long-range drone units operating against Russia. The piece follows a nighttime launch by the Kairos Battalion of the Magyars Birds Brigade, commanded by Colonel Ray, and describes how Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign has become a central part of its war effort.

According to the report, Ukraine is now sending hundreds of one-way attack drones on some nights, with strikes reaching well beyond the border and, in some cases, more than 2,500km into Russia. The targets have included oil refineries, factories and warehouses. Al Jazeera says Ukrainian officials have described the campaign as “long-range sanctions,” framing it as a way to impose economic pressure on Russia through attacks that go beyond what Western sanctions have achieved.

The article says the strategy has expanded beyond energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials told Al Jazeera that strikes have also hit Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, which Kyiv says is used for goods with potential military applications. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s president, said the aims are to create fear, cause losses and make Russians feel the effects of war.

The report presents the campaign as both a military and psychological effort, and says Ukrainian commanders believe the deep strikes have improved morale. More broadly, it reflects the continuing adaptation of the war, including Ukraine’s push to produce its own drones and reduce reliance on outside approval for long-range attacks.