Zelensky creates new unit for deep strikes inside Russia

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Ukraine’s military will organize a new force tasked with making incursions deep in Russian territory to degrade Moscow’s fighting capabilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday night.

The unit will have a “long-range, effectively global, impact on Russia,” the Ukrainian leader said in his nightly address .

Ukraine’s increasingly capable drone strikes on petrochemical production facilities already are taking a toll on the Russian economy , which heavily relies on exports of fossil fuels. It’s gotten to the point that India — the biggest foreign buyer of Russian crude oil — will now export some of what it refines back to its country of origin.

Everyday Russians have been increasingly reporting fuel shortages as Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries deep in Russia hit production. Videos posted on social media show long queues and heated confrontations in front of gas stations.

The strikes deep in Russian territory illustrate Ukraine’s bourgeoning defense industry, with drones and other unmanned vehicles playing a key role. Kyiv’s domestically produced Flamingo missile system has a range of 3,000 kilometers.

Zelenskyy also announced the creation of a team of Joint Rapid Response Forces. These will combine drones, artillery and other capabilities to “ensure the fastest possible response on the front” in the war with Russia.

“It also must be a modern, technology-driven assault force,” he said.