Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia is redeploying large numbers of air defence systems to protect key strategic locations as Ukrainian long-range drone strikes increasingly reach deep inside Russian territory.
In a video address late on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Moscow had strengthened air defences around the Russian capital, the town of Valdai, where President Vladimir Putin has a residence, and the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link connecting mainland Russia to Crimea.
According to the Ukrainian leader, hundreds of air defence missile launchers have been concentrated around Moscow, while nearly 90 launchers have been transferred to Valdai from other regions. He argued that the move could leave other parts of Russia more vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks.
Ukraine has intensified drone operations against Russian military and energy infrastructure in recent months. Kyiv says the strikes have disrupted fuel supplies and military logistics, increasing pressure on Russian forces more than four years into the war.
Recent attacks have targeted Moscow and St Petersburg, while Ukraine has also sought to undermine Russian control of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s latest drones were capable of travelling more than 1,500 kilometres.
“There are growing difficulties for Russia because Putin continues to reject proposals for meaningful talks and a peaceful settlement,” he said.
The Ukrainian president also pointed to what he described as continued international backing for Kyiv. Following the recent G7 summit, he said Ukraine had secured commitments for further support and expressed hope that additional military assistance would strengthen its position on the battlefield.
He said Ukrainian operations, including those focused on Crimea, had been carefully planned and could increase pressure on Moscow to engage in peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump offered rare praise for Zelenskyy during remarks at the White House on Wednesday. Trump, who has previously criticised the Ukrainian leader, described him as “courageous” and said he was “doing pretty well” in the conflict.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian intelligence believed Belarus had switched off signal relay equipment that Kyiv claims was being used to help guide Russian drones towards targets in Ukraine. Last week, Ukraine demanded the removal of the equipment and warned that it could take action if the systems remained operational.
Despite the reported shutdown, the Ukrainian president said concerns about Belarus remained. The country allowed Russian forces to use its territory during the early stages of the 2022 invasion and continues to be closely monitored by Kyiv.
Reflecting those concerns, Ukrainian authorities ordered mandatory evacuations from communities in the northern Chernihiv region near the Belarusian border from 1 July.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko continued to balance relations with both Moscow and Kyiv while avoiding direct involvement in the conflict. Ukraine’s military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, recently said the country was strengthening defences along its northern frontier and establishing new drone units in the area.
The fighting continued overnight. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched one ballistic missile and 90 attack drones.
In the northeastern Sumy region, a Russian drone strike hit a petrol station on Thursday morning, injuring four people, including two employees, according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov. He said Russian forces had targeted petrol stations in the region 13 times this month.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, another overnight attack injured a woman and damaged a petrol station, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 269 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday. Several airports across Russia also temporarily restricted flights during the attacks.
