Ukrainian forces have markedly increased the use of medium-range drone strikes in recent months, directing attacks at radars, air-defence installations, supply hubs and large vehicles positioned dozens to hundreds of kilometres behind frontline positions. Military commanders and analysts attribute a range of operational effects to this shift in targeting, from greater difficulty for Russian ground offensives to opportunities for longer-range attacks on strategic oil and military facilities deep inside Russian-held areas.
Ukrainian officials describe a concerted push to boost what they call "middle strikes" - strikes typically conducted between 30 km and 180 km behind front lines - with more resources devoted to these operations. The stated aim is to erode defensive belts that protect logistics, communications and high-value systems at operational depth, thereby increasing the ability of long-range drones to reach and damage facilities far from the battlefield.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said that this approach has meaningfully improved the prospects of long-range attacks by creating gaps in layered defences. "The role of middle strikes is currently decisive," he said in a voice message, noting the interplay between mid-range operations and strikes reaching as far as 2,000 km.
Those assertions are supported by a string of recent strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukrainian long-range drone operations have been credited with the most extensive damage to Russian oil facilities since the 2022 invasion, forcing reductions in output and suspensions of operations at several refineries. Operators say these effects have, among other consequences, halted crude supplies via a pipeline to Europe and temporarily suspended activity at at least one major port and refinery.
Scaling up and tactical priorities
Ukrainian officials report a sharp increase in the tempo of middle strikes. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the number of such strikes had doubled compared with March, and quadrupled since February. Field commanders describe parallel expansions in personnel, platforms and mission frequency.
One field commander in the 7th battalion of the 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, operating under the call sign "Kusto," said his unit has scaled up the number of crews and diversified the systems it employs. Kusto said his teams focus mainly on targets up to 100 km from the contact line and prioritize radar installations and air-defence systems - specifically naming Buk, Tor and Pantsir systems - as the highest-value targets. He added that large vehicles and logistical nodes are also primary objectives.
Describing typical mission profiles, Kusto said that a drone will fly about 150 kilometres from its launch point before beginning a search for targets in the designated area. He identified the domestically produced Chaklun V and the B-2 as the most frequently used middle-strike platforms by his unit.
Brovdi emphasized that manual control of drones, rather than reliance on coordinate-based guidance, improves precision. He also provided a figure for his forces' operational results, saying they have destroyed at least 129 air-defence systems this year in Russian-occupied areas; that number could not be independently verified for this report.
Operational effects on logistics and battlefield support
Analysts and commanders say mid-range strikes force Russian forces to redistribute their air-defence assets away from the immediate frontline, creating vulnerabilities further back. That redistribution, in turn, has allowed Ukrainian teams to strike targets that previously lay beyond artillery range or the reach of shorter-range, first-person-view drones.
Justin Bronk, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the deeper strikes compel Russia to disperse air-defence systems, which increases opportunities to attack ammunition and fuel depots, command nodes, supply vehicles and other mid-range drone teams. In April, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported more than 160 middle strikes at ranges of 120-150 km.
Illia Mashyna, commander of Ukraine’s 431st Separate Unmanned Aircraft Systems Battalion "Brodiahy," highlighted how those attacks complicate logistics. "The farther you pull back, the more you complicate logistics," he said, stressing that mission planning and coordination are crucial to achieving operational impact.
Observers note that the cumulative effect of sustained mid-range pressure, local fortifications and difficult terrain has coincided with a slowdown in Russian battlefield advances since October. Analysts also point to communications disruptions faced by Russian forces since changes to access to a commercial satellite internet service used on the battlefield.
Enabling longer-range strikes and damage to energy infrastructure
With mid-range teams striking air defences and other enablers at operational depth, long-range drones have reportedly found it easier to penetrate deeper and hit strategic energy sites. Ukrainian forces have carried out multiple strikes on oil facilities, including in the Russian Black Sea port city of Tuapse, and commanders stated they had struck the Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest. Such operations have also been linked to the suspension of operations at other major refineries, including a facility designated as Russia’s fourth-largest and a refinery in Perm, roughly 1,500 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.
Those attacks have produced economic and logistical effects in the oil sector, including reduced output and disruptions to pipeline deliveries cited by officials. The damage to energy infrastructure has also had a morale effect within Ukraine after a winter in which Russian strikes targeted its power network.
Rapid innovation driven by battlefield feedback
Rapid operational use has accelerated technical development. Commanders and engineers say stronger ties between frontline users and producers have shortened feedback loops, enabling manufacturers to adjust drone platforms within days. "Previously, middle strike was more of a one-off capability," one technical engineer using the call sign "Symbol" said in written remarks. "Now it’s a systematic part of operations."
Kusto added that some manufacturers now deliver platforms that arrive almost fully combat-ready, requiring minimal additional programming. This evolution is presented as part of a deliberate effort to strengthen domestic defence production and reduce reliance on foreign supplies.
RUSI’s Bronk described Kyiv’s development of mid-range capabilities as a pragmatic response to an operational need, spurred by pressure from a larger adversary that has itself used middle strikes. Emil Kastehelmi, of the Finland-based Black Bird conflict analysis group, cautioned that while these attacks present a significant challenge Russia must adapt to, they alone may not be decisive in changing the overall course of the conflict. "And I don’t think we’ve seen the pinnacle of it yet," he said.
Outcomes and limitations acknowledged by analysts
Defence analysts are circumspect about the degree to which mid-range strikes can alter the strategic balance on their own. While the strikes are credited with tangible operational effects - stretching logistics, degrading defensive systems and facilitating strikes on energy infrastructure - experts and commanders alike stop short of portraying them as a standalone solution to broader battlefield challenges.
At the same time, officials report that the strikes have had visible operational and morale benefits for Ukraine. They have been linked to pauses and reductions in Russian oil production and to the temporary suspension of operations at key refineries and ports. The reported pace of Russian battlefield advances has slowed, coinciding with the reported uptick in mid-range operations and other local factors such as fortifications and terrain.
As Ukraine continues to expand and adapt its mid-range drone campaign, the near-term picture will likely be shaped by how effectively these operations are coordinated with other military efforts, how rapidly Russian forces adapt their defence posture, and how industrial production and frontline feedback continue to refine Ukrainian systems.