Wants further escalation: Zelensky approves long-range strike plans against Russia for June

Vladimir Zelensky announced that he has approved plans for long-range strikes on Russian territory for June — at a moment when diplomatic pressure around Ukraine is intensifying and the deadline set by Donald Trump for reaching a peace deal is approaching.

In an evening address on May 19, Zelensky said he had heard reports from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky and the General Staff, after which he approved “long-range action plans for June.”

“This month the dynamic has shifted in our favor,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine must “creatively expand” its long-range capabilities.

The statement came on the same day that explosions were reported in the Russian city of Yaroslavl. According to local authorities, a drone struck an industrial facility and one of the main roads to Moscow was closed. An oil refinery was identified as the likely target.

Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign against Russian oil and industrial infrastructure has intensified markedly in 2026. Attacks have hit facilities from Ryazan to Krasnodar, as well as export terminals at Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk. According to Reuters estimates, such strikes may have reduced Russia’s oil refining capacity by approximately 17 percent.