Ukraine's Defense Forces Launched Thousands of Strikes on Russian Targets in June, Hitting Refineries, Bases, and Crimea.

Ukraine's Defense Operations in June 2023

According to Espreso.tv: Throughout June 2023, Ukraine's defense forces (SBS) carried out thousands of sorties against Russian military and economic infrastructure, striking critical assets both within Russia and in temporarily occupied Crimea. A total of 8,500 missions were conducted, broken down as follows:

• 2,359 sorties for Deep Strike operations (500–2,000 km range)
• 3,406 sorties for Middle Strike operations (150–300 km range)
• 2,747 sorties for Front Strike operations (25–150 km range)

These attacks hit 172 facilities tied to Russia's military-industrial complex and energy sector. In total, 1,682 targets were neutralized or damaged, with 1,265 directly struck. Key sites targeted included:

• The Astrakhan gas processing plant
• Oil refineries in Ilsky, Afipsky, Novokuybyshevsk, Moscow, and Slavyansk
• The Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez facility

Additional strikes hit fuel depots:

• Petergof
• Rossosh
• Surovikino

and terminals in Saint Petersburg. Military and industrial infrastructure also came under fire, including the Kavkaz port, the Kaluga aerated concrete plant, and the Central Design Bureau for Instrument Engineering. Naval assets were not spared, with strikes on the Kronstadt base, the Russian Navy's 15th arsenal, and the corvette Boyky. Furthermore, space communication centers in Dubna, Skolkovo, and Medvezhye Ozera were attacked.

Strikes on Russia's Military Infrastructure

On the night of July 2, units from Ukraine's defense forces launched attacks on several military and military-economic infrastructure sites in Russia. As Robert Brovdi noted:

'it is an accomplished fact: the bird-2026 brings the war's painful special effects to the occupier's territory—the worm no longer has a quiet rear across the entire European part of Muscovy.' - Robert Brovdi

These operations underscore Ukraine's active counter-strategy in response to Russian aggression, focusing on facilities critical to the enemy's war effort. Successful strikes could degrade Russia's operational capabilities, limiting its ability to conduct combat operations and sustain its forces. Such actions also exert psychological pressure on Russia, highlighting the vulnerability of its military infrastructure.