Russian Troops Forced to Walk 30 km After Ukraine Hits Logistics, Minister Says

Ukrainian strikes on Russian military targets in occupied Crimea and southern Ukraine have severely disrupted Moscow’s logistics, forcing some Russian infantry units to walk up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) to reach frontline positions, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson, Fedorov said Ukraine’s campaign against Russian logistics was creating mounting problems for Moscow’s forces.

“We already see, for example, in the south, sectors of the front where Russian infantry, because logistics have been destroyed, have to walk 30 kilometers to reach their positions,” Fedorov said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

He said Russia was facing growing difficulties transporting troops to the front line, supplying them and delivering fuel for generators used by drone operators.

According to Fedorov, those disruptions are creating a range of less visible problems that are reducing the intensity of Russian offensive operations against Ukraine. The minister also said Ukraine continues to see signs of a fuel and critical infrastructure crisis inside Russia.

“We see that in Crimea they announced fuel sales by QR code, then canceled the plan, and now it is impossible to buy fuel at all. A large number of crises are beginning to pile up, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for Russia to deal with one crisis after another,” he said.

Other Topics of Interest

EU: No More Protection for Ukrainian Men?

The European Commission plans to amend the rules on the admission of Ukrainian war refugees from spring 2027, and has proposed that Ukrainian men of military age who arrive in the EU should no longer be automatically entitled to protection, although

Fedorov said Ukraine’s campaign against Russian military infrastructure was continuing as part of the 40-day operation announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which aims to increase pressure on Russia and force it toward peace.

“So far, everything is going according to plan,” he said, adding that Ukraine intends to increase the intensity of long-range strikes and accelerate defense procurement with financial support from European partners.

The minister described the arrival of the first tranche of a new European defense loan as “bad news for the Russians,” saying the funding would allow Ukraine to expand military purchases and maintain the initiative on the battlefield.

Fedorov said Ukraine’s goal is to reduce the intensity of Russian attacks by disrupting logistics and protecting both frontline troops and civilians in cities that continue to face Russian strikes, including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.

Frontline regions remain under daily Russian fire

Russian forces launched overnight strikes across southeastern Ukraine, killing at least three people and wounding more than a dozen as drones hit gas stations in the Dnipropetrovsk region and guided bombs struck civilian areas in Zaporizhzhia.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, drone strikes hit five gas stations and damaged railway infrastructure, while in Zaporizhzhia seven guided bombs struck civilian areas. Ukraine’s air defenses said they intercepted 130 of 151 drones and a Kh-59 missile.