Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine carried out a series of long-range strikes overnight targeting Russian energy infrastructure, including an export terminal in the Rostov region and oil facilities deep inside Russian territory.

In a statement posted on X, Zelenskyy said the operation struck an export terminal in Russia's Rostov region located approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the front line.

He added that Ukrainian forces also targeted oil facilities in the Yaroslavl region and the Udmurt Republic, about 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) from Ukraine's state border, describing the attacks as part of Kyiv's strategy to weaken Russia's capacity to finance its military campaign.

"Tonight, our long-range sanctions went into effect in the Rostov region. An export terminal approximately 250 kilometers from the front line was struck. Deep strikes were also carried out against oil facilities in the Yaroslavl region and the Udmurt Republic," Zelenskyy wrote.

The Ukrainian president said the campaign of long-range strikes was aimed at reducing Russia's ability to sustain the war by targeting critical energy and export infrastructure.

"We are carrying out our plan of long-range sanctions and reducing Russia's ability to finance the war," he said.

Zelenskyy also praised members of Ukraine's Defense Forces for what he described as their precision in conducting operations deep inside Russian territory.

"I thank our warriors of Ukraine's Defense Forces for their precise work in areas that, until quite recently, were deep in the Russian rear," he said, adding that the operations were intended to "bring the war back to Russia so that, ultimately, a just peace has a chance."

The claims could not be independently verified, and Russian authorities had not immediately commented on the reported strikes or the extent of any damage.

Ukraine has increasingly expanded its long-range strike capabilities over the past year, using domestically produced drones and other precision weapons to target military, industrial and energy infrastructure hundreds of kilometers inside Russia. Kyiv argues that such attacks are directed at facilities supporting Russia's military effort and are intended to degrade Moscow's logistical and financial capacity to continue the war.

Russia, meanwhile, has continued to carry out large-scale missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, frequently targeting energy infrastructure, military facilities and urban centers as the conflict, now in its fifth year, shows no signs of abating. (ILKHA)