Ukraine Vows Deeper Strikes Into Russia as War Enters Third Year
Ukraine’s top military commander has pledged to intensify strikes deep into Russian territory, declaring that Kyiv will not remain passive as Moscow presses on with its full-scale invasion.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Ukraine would escalate the “scale and depth” of its attacks on Russian military targets, calling them effective responses to ongoing Russian aggression.
“We will not just sit in defence. That brings nothing—it only leads to further losses of people and territory,” Syrsky said. “Of course, we will continue. We will increase the scale and depth.”
The comments come amid a breakdown in diplomatic efforts to end the war, with no direct Ukraine-Russia talks in nearly three weeks and no further meetings scheduled.
Russian attacks have continued to cause civilian casualties. At least four people were killed in an overnight strike on an apartment block in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. Later the same day, a Russian strike on a Ukrainian military training ground killed three others, officials reported.
In Kyiv, firefighters responded early Monday to a Russian missile strike that damaged residential buildings. Emergency workers were seen helping victims, including women and elderly residents.
Ukraine has consistently targeted Russian military and energy infrastructure far from the front lines in what it describes as legitimate retaliation. Despite Moscow’s claims, Syrsky asserted that Ukrainian forces still control about 90 square kilometres inside Russia’s Kursk region, seized during a cross-border raid last August.
“These are our pre-emptive actions in response to a possible enemy offensive,” Syrsky added.
While acknowledging Ukraine’s challenges in drone warfare, Syrsky said Russia maintains a tactical edge, particularly with fibre-optic drones that are harder to jam.
Russia, meanwhile, claims to have seized the village of Petrivske in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Moscow currently occupies around 20% of Ukraine’s territory and has declared the annexation of four regions, in addition to Crimea, which it took in 2014.
Over the weekend, the Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 47 drones and three missiles launched by Russia.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Ukrainians marked Ivana Kupala, a midsummer celebration steeped in Slavic pagan traditions. At Kyiv’s National Museum of Folk Architecture and Ukrainian Life, citizens gathered to honour ancient rituals tied to fertility, purity, and nature. Dressed in traditional embroidered garments and flower wreaths known as vinoks, young and old alike took part in folk dances and craft workshops.
“It’s a small oasis in the war,” said Viktoria Phi, a master folk artist. “People can walk and enjoy nature, architecture, songs and dances. It’s most popular among the youth, and I’m happy when families come with their children.”
As Ukraine braces for more battles ahead, the celebration stood as a symbol of cultural resilience in a nation determined to endure.
