Pavel Palisa, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that Kyiv could move the conflict into a new phase by significantly intensifying long-range strikes on strategic facilities of the Russian Federation and on the infrastructure that fuels its economy. He made these remarks during a meeting with journalists, RBC-Ukraine reports. In his words, Russia is not yet ready to abandon the war and its stated objectives, and the Kremlin understands that defeat in Ukraine could have serious consequences for the Russian leadership. This is precisely why, Palisa claims, Ukraine is deliberately seeking to reduce Moscow's ability to finance military operations, and he named long-range strikes as one of the main tools for achieving this.
'Deepstrike' as a Tool of Pressure
'Deepstrike, for example. Just two years ago we did not have such capabilities to strike at such a range. Now the population of the Russian Federation is feeling the effect of them,' emphasized the representative of the Office of the President. Palisa explained that Ukraine is gradually building up its ability to strike so-called 'pain points' and centers critical to the functioning of the Russian state and its military machine. He stressed that such actions have not only an immediate result but also a cumulative effect. It is precisely in combination, he believes, that this allows Ukraine to 'shift the war to a new phase to a certain extent.'
Priority Targets: Energy and the 'Shadow Fleet'
According to Palisa, the focus is primarily on facilities whose destruction does not necessarily yield an immediate result on the battlefield but can have a significant long-term impact on Russia. Among such targets he cited infrastructure linked to energy exports — it is the energy sector that provides a substantial share of the Russian budget's revenue. Ukraine may also continue striking vessels of the 'shadow fleet,' logistics infrastructure, and the networks that ensure transportation and supply for Russia. 'They carry both a primary and a secondary effect,' Palisa explained.
Industrial Scale: From 300 to 1,000 Drones per Day
It is worth recalling that Ukraine is already scaling up production of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and using them to strike military and strategic facilities on Russian territory. At present, Kyiv produces and deploys an average of more than 300 long-range drones per day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that a more ambitious goal has been set for the defense-industrial complex — to reach 1,000 such UAVs per day. Thus, the 'new phase' announced by Palisa is underpinned by concrete production figures and a strategic course aimed at multiplying the rate of strike-drone output.
Contradictory Data
No significant discrepancies in figures or dates were found in the provided sources. The only nuance: Palisa refers to the fact that 'just two years ago' (i.e., roughly in 2024) Ukraine did not have the capability to strike at such a range, which is consistent with the publicly known timeline of the development of long-range strike systems. At the same time, the phrasing 'shift the war to a new phase to a certain extent' is evaluative in nature and is not backed by a concrete plan of action or deadlines, leaving room for interpretation.
