Key facts
- President Zelensky is satisfied with a 40-day operation targeting Russian logistics.
- The operation aimed to weaken Russia's military machine and impact its population.
- Ukraine crippled dozens of Russian tankers and destroyed numerous warehouses.
- Zelensky stated Ukraine understands Russia's "weak points" and plans to continue strikes.
- Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities amid these efforts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on August 8 that he was satisfied with the outcome of a 40-day operation aimed at weakening Russia's military logistics and compelling an end to the war. Zelensky indicated that Ukraine would continue to target Russian logistics, suggesting that the impact would be felt by the Russian population.
The operation, initiated by Zelensky in late June and overseen by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), culminated in the crippling of numerous Russian tankers supplying occupied Crimea and the destruction of warehouses belonging to online retailer Wildberries. The SBU clarified on August 4 that the campaign's objective was to simultaneously weaken key elements of the Russian military machine.
Zelensky commented that the losses incurred by Russia were "staggering," estimating them at one trillion rubles ($12.2 billion). He drew a parallel to Russia's strikes on Ukrainian logistics, stating that Ukraine's response was a "very successful operation."
While the operation did not end the full-scale war, Ukrainian officials had previously suggested a political objective was to make Russians experience the war's consequences more directly, potentially influencing upcoming September elections. Zelensky issued veiled threats, noting that while Ukraine strikes military targets, Russia's continued strikes on Ukrainian logistics would lead to goods not reaching Russian consumers.
Amid these Ukrainian strikes on logistics, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities, with Kyiv experiencing a significant overnight attack on August 8 that resulted in four fatalities, including a child, and eight injuries.