The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has carried out at least 100 successful strikes against Russia in its initial 40-day operation, targeting a wide range of targets, likely aiming to achieve several separate and sometimes mutually reinforcing effects, all aimed at increasing the price Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying for continuing the war against Ukraine.
In the short term, Russia is likely to continue to struggle to develop countermeasures against Ukrainian strikes.
This was noted in its daily analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.
On August 4, the SBU reported that since the campaign began on June 26, drone operators have carried out over 100 strikes against strategic Russian sites, including enterprises from the defense industrial base (OPB), air bases, air defense assets, command posts, warships, tankers, oil refineries, as well as transport and military logistics.
The SBU emphasized that its operators carried out strikes on the aircraft factory in Yevpatoriya and the air bases in the occupied Saki, Khvardiyske, Belbek and Bakherove in Crimea; carried out strikes on the "Engels" air base in the Saratov region and the "Khanskaya" air base in the Republic of Adygea; destroyed a Tu-95MS strategic bomber, two Su-35 fighters and two L-39 combat training aircraft; as well as strikes on 14 Russian oil refineries and other oil infrastructure sites, two cargo ships, and two tankers from the "shadow fleet".
On August 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had approved another operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), but did not specify its duration, type, or range of targets.
Ukraine's escalating attacks on Russian military, logistics, defense industry, and economic assets extend far beyond the SBU. Ukrainian forces have struck at least 19 "Wildberries" warehouses across Russia since the first strike on the "Wildberries" facilities. on July 18.
Ukrainian forces have launched at least 200 strikes against Russian cargo ships and oil tankers in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as at least 24 oil and gas infrastructure sites, reducing Russia's refining capacity by at least a third.
Some Russian military bloggers close to the Kremlin have tried to dismiss the Ukrainian strike campaign as a failure, but one of them admitted that the Ukrainian strikes were "painful" for Russia.
Ukrainian forces have also carried out an intensive campaign of strikes against electricity infrastructure in Crimea, leading to prolonged power outages.
Additional Ukrainian strikes have targeted bridges and other transportation infrastructure in and around the peninsula.
Ukrainian attacks are increasing pressure on Russian businesses, the population, and air defenses.
On August 4, "Bloomberg" reported that the Ukrainian strikes have forced Russia to export near-record amounts of crude oil as Russian oil refining capacity has hit its lowest levels since May 2002.
Bloomberg reported, citing energy market analysis platform EA Analytics, that in July 2026, crude oil processing rates in Russia averaged 3.6 million barrels per day, about a third below the seasonal norm.
Russia has failed to adequately respond to Ukraine's increasing strikes in recent months, withdrawing personnel and resources to protect rear areas and strategic targets that it could have instead directed to the front line.
In the short term, Russia will likely continue to have difficulty developing countermeasures to the Ukrainian strikes.