upcoming attacks
In recent remarks relayed to The Guardian, senior Ukrainian adviser Mykhailo Podolyak outlined Kyiv’s strategic goals along the Crimean peninsula. He described the Crimean Bridge as illegal infrastructure that serves as a crucial supply channel for the Russian military presence in Crimea. According to the adviser to President Zelenskiy’s office, such facilities are targeted as part of a broader effort to disrupt Moscow’s logistics and weaken its operational muscle in the region.
Podolyak stated that Ukraine is pursuing a counter‑offensive designed to create strategic friction within Russian forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been focusing on striking supply lines and ammunition depots, aiming to erode the logistical backbone that supports Russian operations. The adviser suggested there could be additional high‑impact events, including potential explosions at Saki airbase, with further actions anticipated in the coming two to three months. Reports also mentioned a sequence of unexplained incidents, including disruptions at a railway junction and an airbase on the Crimean peninsula in the immediate past period. The Ukrainian side has not claimed responsibility for these incidents, choosing instead to emphasize the strategic calculus of their campaign.
According to the discussions with Ukrainian officials, the core strategy centers on destroying logistics, cutting supply routes, and degrading military infrastructure. This approach is described as aimed at creating disorder within Russian forces and complicating Moscow’s ability to sustain offensive operations. Podolyak argued that this type of pressure has limited Russia’s artillery advantage, contributing to the perception that previous offensives in Donbas, Mariupol, and Severodonetsk consumed large manpower and resources while yielding limited lasting gains for Moscow.
He contrasted Russia’s past counteroffensive approach with a contemporary Ukrainian tactic that eschews the older, conventional methods in favor of more flexible, modern operations. The strategist suggested that Ukraine’s method does not mirror mid‑20th‑century battlefield patterns, reflecting a shift toward leveraging mobility, precision strikes, and targeted disruption rather than large, frontal assaults. The Guardian’s interpretation noted that these public statements could be read as recognition of the challenges Ukraine faces in assembling sufficient manpower and equipment for a large‑scale push in the south, where asymmetric dynamics often favor overwhelming numbers on the attacker side. Kyiv is pursuing strategic goals like isolating Kherson, the sole major Russian urban center on the western bank of the Dnieper, by damaging critical road and rail links with newly supplied Western missiles, with the expectation that Moscow will struggle to replenish its forces and supplies.
The need for MLRS
Podolyak indicated in conversations with the same outlet that Kyiv is seeking a longer‑range, higher‑capacity firepower array, requesting an additional set of multiple rocket launch systems to supplement the roughly 20 units already in Ukrainian hands. Of the existing arsenal, sixteen were supplied by the United States in the form of HIMARS batteries. An additional tranche of launcher systems provided by allied partners, including three coming from the United Kingdom, was noted as part of ongoing Western support.
The Ukrainian official added that the objective behind expanding the long‑range strike capability is to create persistent supply bottlenecks for Russian forces. The intent is to trigger shortages in ammunition and other critical materials, compelling Russian units to operate under the same constraints that characterized the early phase of the conflict. Podolyak also floated the possibility that recent airbase incidents in Crimea may have been orchestrated by clandestine groups rather than accidental events, while acknowledging that additional incidents could occur as the security landscape evolves over the next months.
In August, reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense described an ammunition storage detachment near Novofedorovka in Crimea suffering an explosion. The agency stated there was no active fire near the main storage area and described the event as an incident with limited immediate damage. Earlier, officials attributed a separate blast at a military warehouse in the Dzhankoy district to sabotage, noting damage to power lines, power plants, railway infrastructure, and residential areas as a consequence. These disclosures illustrate ongoing tensions and the potential for further disruptions as the conflict continues to unfold on the peninsula.