Ukraine targets Russian supply lines with new drone strikes, CNN analysis finds
Ukraine has intensified its drone campaign against Russian logistics networks, targeting fuel convoys, military trucks, trains, bridges and supply depots deep behind the front lines, according to a CNN analysis of geolocated strikes. The strategy, described by Ukrainian officials as a 'logistical lockdown,' aims to weaken Russia's offensive capabilities by disrupting supply routes, the report said.
CNN's analysis examined around 150 strikes on Russian fuel tankers, trucks and other vehicles since early May, with the highest concentration in southern Ukraine and occupied Crimea. Analysts believe many more attacks have not been recorded. The campaign reflects a shift in Ukrainian strategy from focusing solely on frontline troops to targeting the infrastructure sustaining Moscow's war effort.
At the centre of the campaign is a new generation of Ukrainian-made drones with ranges between 50 and 300 kilometres. Systems like the FP-2 and Behemoth can carry warheads of up to 70 kg and travel at speeds around 180 km/h. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces told CNN that mid-range strike missions have increased 28-fold over the past year, with objectives including disrupting logistics, suppressing offensive operations and degrading air-defence systems in occupied territories.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said strikes at distances beyond 20 kilometres have quadrupled since February, describing long-range drone attacks as a key military priority. French open-source analyst Clément Molin noted that Ukraine has effectively extended the battlefield up to 300 kilometres behind Russian lines, targeting fuel depots, military transport routes and supply infrastructure. At least 20 trains, many carrying fuel, have been struck since January.
Geolocated footage reviewed by analysts shows highways littered with destroyed fuel tankers and military trucks. Fuel shortages have been reported in parts of Crimea. Ukrainian drone units have repeatedly targeted the Chonhar bridge, a key supply crossing into Crimea, causing damage and traffic disruptions acknowledged by Russian-installed authorities. One Russian military blogger warned that 'the links connecting the peninsula to the mainland are being severed.'
The campaign has been described by Ukrainian officials as a 'logistics lockdown,' with some drone units calling the R-280 supply corridor a 'highway of death' due to the frequency of strikes. However, independent verification of the full extent of the damage remains limited.
