Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces have been preparing an operation to take the war to Russia, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments that Ukraine had no cards to play. In a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump told Zelenskyy that his country was in big trouble and not winning, saying "you don’t have the cards." However, Ukraine has since ramped up a campaign of longer-range strikes inside Russia, targeting oil infrastructure, defense manufacturing, and air defenses.

Ukraine’s Strikes

Ukraine’s strikes have focused on four key categories of targets: oil infrastructure, defense manufacturing, air defenses, and retail warehouses. The goal is to undermine the idea that Russia can afford to "just let this roll," said Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the London-based RUSI think tank. Ukraine has also increased production of weapons, including drones, and has begun to resolve navigational issues with its missiles.

While Ukraine’s efforts appear to have shifted the narrative about the war in Washington, it’s still not clear if it will be able to push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward the negotiating table. The question of whether it will succeed depends on how much pain Ukraine can exact, Watling noted.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.