Ukraine's military hits targets across western Russia
In a fresh demonstration of long-range reach, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck at least three locations inside Russia during the night of August 15. Flamingo missiles were used, and the distances to targets ranged from 700 to 900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
- The Progress rocket-space center in Samara, a Roscosmos-affiliated plant that manufactured electronics;
- Savasleyka military airfield in Nizhny Novgorod region, where MiG-31K fighters—carriers of Kinzhal missiles—are based;
- An oil facility in Ust-Luga, a Baltic Sea oil terminal.
Key targets and strategic impact
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the operation as part of Ukraine's plan of long-range sanctions against Russia. On the Progress center, he said:
“The Progress center, one of Roscosmos's key enterprises that also made electronics, was hit in Russia's Samara region. Flamingo missiles were used—a good result. The distance from our border is about 900 kilometers.”
Savasleyka airfield was also struck because it hosts Russian missile carriers. Zelenskyy added:
“Our long-range sanctions reached Savasleyka airfield, where the carriers of Russian missiles that strike our cities and villages are based. That is around 700 kilometers from Ukraine.”
The third target was an oil terminal in Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast. Zelenskyy confirmed the facility sustained the damage Ukraine needed, noting it is more than 800 kilometers from the border. This was the seventh time Ust-Luga has been hit in the past six months.
“Our plan of long-range sanctions against Russia for this war is being carried out, and it is important that Russia's war potential declines. Peace is needed, and people in Russia must see it through clear damage to specific facilities,” Zelenskyy said.
The strikes are likely to erode Russia's military capability. Hitting a center of electronics production and an airfield that hosts Kinzhal-capable jets limits Moscow's ability to sustain operations against Ukraine, while repeated attacks on oil infrastructure target the economic base of the war effort. The overnight operation underscored how Ukraine is using long-range strikes to pressure Russia, exactly as Zelenskyy described.
As Ukraine continues to expand its military capabilities, President Zelenskyy recently announced that the range of Ukrainian strikes has now exceeded 3,000 kilometers. This development highlights the ongoing strategy to weaken Russian military assets. For more details on the updated target list and the implications of these long-range operations, see Zelensky's remarks on Ukraine's extended strike capabilities.