The Ukrainian Defense Forces have significantly increased the effectiveness and range of strikes on the rear objects of the Russian Federation since the onset of the full-scale aggression. According to the Ministry of Defense, over the course of two and a half years of war, the maximum range of target engagement has increased by more than 2.5 times.
This is reported by Finway
Growth of Ukrainian long-range capabilities
In 2022, Ukrainian military forces managed to hit a Russian military facility at a distance of about 630 km. One of the most notable examples was the attack on the “Engels-2” airbase, located 650 km from the front line. This strategic site is one of the key bases of the Russian aviation, and in December 2022, during the attack, two Tu-95MS bombers — carriers of cruise missiles — were damaged.
Since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has significantly expanded the geography of its strikes. In April, a strike was carried out for the first time on a factory producing “Shaheds” in the special economic zone “Alabuga” in Tatarstan — at a distance of 1,200 km. And on May 9, defenders destroyed targets at the “Gazprom Neftkhim Salavat” oil refinery, located 1,500 km from Ukraine.
New records in 2026 and systematic strikes
In 2026, the range of strikes reached 1,750 km — this is how far Ukrainian forces hit the Ukhta oil refinery in the Russian Republic of Komi. The agency emphasizes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly carry out strikes both in the near and deep rear of the enemy to force the aggressor to seek peace.
“If in 2022 it was possible to hit a military facility at approximately 630 km, now Ukrainian long-range systems successfully destroy the enemy’s war machine at a distance of about 1,750 km,” the statement reads.
In March of this year, according to the Ministry of Defense, 5 strategic factories and 10 oil refining facilities of Russia were hit. The operations covered areas from the temporarily occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the deep rear of Russia, including the Leningrad region.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized that achieving peace is only possible when Ukraine’s sky is reliably protected, the Russian army loses its offensive potential, and the Russian economy cannot withstand the burden.
Since Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian forces have regularly carried out air strikes on various targets in the territory of Russia, including oil refineries, as well as on facilities in the occupied territories of Ukraine in 2024 and 2025. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has repeatedly confirmed these attacks, emphasizing the systematic work to reduce the combat potential of the Russian occupation forces and bring the aggression to an end.