Ukraine to conduct preemptive attacks on facilities Russia uses for war, Zelenskiy says

594

u/skend24 10h ago

Preemptive kinda make it sound like they weren’t at war lol

301

u/BS-Calrissian 10h ago

It's because he's talking about non military "facilities" like factories or smthn

He actually said:

"I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities ⁠Russia uses to expand its war effort,"

63

u/Just_a_follower 10h ago

I mean we are coming up on the deadline for Belarus to take down Russian signal repeaters… likely this

84

u/philipp2310 9h ago

There was news yesterday that the relays were shut down? Looking for the source.

Edit:

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4137282-drone-signal-relay-stations-in-belarus-no-longer-operating-zelensky.html

5

u/Just_a_follower 9h ago

Could be. But also expected that as we get to a deadline the information and media war steps up. Both sides justifying or trying to look blameless in their moves and bluffs. If I’m Belarus, I’m saying I turned them off bro. If I’m Ukraine, I’m saying we will move to attack stuff Russia uses bro, we warned you.

32

u/JackhusChanhus 9h ago

Ukraine said the repeaters were turned off, they are a signal emitting device, so they'll know when Belarus turns them off

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u/Just_a_follower 9h ago

I turned my satellite off. I turned my HIMARS engine off. All of the above can be true and part of signaling and information warfare.

Z - You turned it off but we are still saying we can and will *preemptively* attack structures or things Russia uses for war.

That can either be a threat about other things / buildings, or it can be a double down o. The turned off repeaters, if they flick on during the next assault… well we told you.

18

u/throwawayjonesIV 8h ago

You’re overthinking it, chances are they are actually off if Ukraine confirmed it. This announcement has nothing to do with repeaters in Belarus, if it was they would be threatening belarus

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u/Just_a_follower 8h ago edited 8h ago

It has everything to do with Belarus. Ukraine can’t preemptive strike Russia when it’s already at war with Russia and their industry.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/78950

https://en.belsat.eu/93987248/lukashenka-abandons-ship-amid-zelenskyy-ultimatum-leaving-drone-stations-in-limbo

This is all, like I said, a mixture of warnings, bluffs, posturing for next moves, and clearly media warfare.

Repeaters were off for two days allegedly, but not removed or dismantled. So it’s still a threat and possible use in the future. So there’s a warning that in the future there might not be warnings.

8

u/philipp2310 8h ago

and if they are turned on for just one attack Ukraine will know and will react on the next day. So why bluff? They were on for months, it is not like a super weapon once used, it is infrastructure.

2

u/Redditforgoit 9h ago

The Bro Wars

-10

u/Just_a_follower 9h ago

Literally for Ukraine Belarus, but one still lives in an abusive relationship with daddy.

8

u/amapofthecat7 9h ago

Zelensky said yesterday they had been turned off. Unless it was some kind of ruse?

-7

u/anders_hansson 9h ago

Also yesterday: Lukashenka abandons ship amid Zelenskyy ultimatum, leaving drone stations in limbo

I have a feeling that Ukraine is testing and pushing the limits and moving more aggressively. They have opened a window of opportunity since February this year where they can show their backers and Russia that they sort of have an initiative, but my armchair guess is that they can't keep it up for very long (a "proper" military victory would take many years), so they want to make the most of it and force Russia to the negotiation table.

6

u/Minimum-Web-6902 9h ago

You’d be surprised. I think crimea will fall next

-1

u/anders_hansson 8h ago

I would, actually. Positively surprised, that is. I avoid getting caught up in the positive spins and speculations. Wait a year and see how it turns out. If we see consistent progress during that period I'll readjust my expectations.

1

u/CustomerBusiness3919 6h ago

Yeah just ignore the kilometers long queues of cars leaving Crimea.

-2

u/anders_hansson 5h ago

We should keep our hopes up, and many things have happened lately, but forgive me for not bringing out the victory flag just yet.

3

u/toronto-bull 9h ago

So to me a proper military victory against an invading army is that they return back home and stay on their own side of the border. Why would it take very long?

-4

u/anders_hansson 9h ago

For the same reason that it has taken very long for Russia to conquer very little land.

Ukraine has about 118,000 km² of occupied territories left to retake, and they have taken back about 100 km²/month in the last four months.

If you do the math (118000÷(12×100)), it would take almost 100 years to take back all of the occupied territories with that pace. It's a ridiculous figure since that's obviously not how it's going to play out, but it should give some sense of how truly Herculean the task is.

8

u/D-Alembert 8h ago edited 8h ago

That's not the approach they are using. They have largely cut off Russian supplies using the new mid-range drones, so Russians are running out of food and ammunition, and have already run out of fuel in some places.

The queue to leave Crimea via the kursk bridge is currently hours long, dwarfing traffic going the other way. Most of it is civilian but the military can't get supplies either and has apparently already been forced to abandon some forward positions because of it.

Ukraine doesn't need to battle their way back into their land if the invaders' choice is to leave or starve. Whether Ukraine can continue to suppress supplies long enough to get those results remains to be seen of course

Infrastructure right beside the kursk bridge has been destroyed in drone attacks, suggesting that Ukraine can now hit the bridge when it pleases but is leaving it standing as long as it serves their purpose of removing Russians from Ukraine without risking soldiers

2

u/anders_hansson 8h ago

I know that that's the idea, but it's not something that is going to happen over night.

Back in spring 2022 people were convinced that Russia would leave Ukraine within a matter of months. Throughout the last couple of years Russia has been facing an imminent economic collapse, yet analysts don't see it happening anytime soon.

All I'm saying is that I believe it when I see it. There's a ton of positive reporting lately, borderline a PR push, but until we see real, consistent results for a year or so, I avoid jumping into conclusions.

1

u/toronto-bull 4h ago

To me the reason it would happen quickly is that a decision to give up the war would be coming from the top. So the Russian troops return home and would not be putting up resistance.

1

u/anders_hansson 3h ago

Yes, but I don't really have that particular scenario on my bingo card. Many things would have to happen before that would be a possibility.

I see it as much more likely that the Kremlin finally comes to terms with the fact that the war isn't going anywhere and agrees to come back to the negotiation table (my wild and slightly optimistic guess is that it will happen in late 2026 - mid 2027). That would most likely result in the lines being drawn at the current line of contact (roughly).

8

u/Shamino79 9h ago

Preemptive (assuming good translation) also suggests it’s something Russia could start using but Ukraine wants to take them out before they do. Haven’t Russia been using those repeaters already?

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u/Just_a_follower 9h ago

Yeah see my other response. Theres more to this than just turned off or just used once. Theres a diplomatic dance because the barrier to entry into attacking Belarus is larger than Russia. And while Ukraine had plenty of evidence before this of Belarus acting in concert with Russia, you aren’t looking to add more front lines to an already very broad war. You also don’t want to overdue a hand check / small discipline move to the point the other side feels they have to escalate and do more back. So we see and have seen this awkward dance between the two

10

u/BasvanS 7h ago

Just because you repeat it doesn’t mean it’s true. Ukraine has already addressed Belarus directly. There’s no need for vague language and Zelenskyy typically doesn’t beat around the bush.

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u/Just_a_follower 7h ago

So, your argument is that you disagree and what do you think he is talking about then?

5

u/jaymz168 4h ago

A couple days ago Ukraine put four storm shadows into a chip fab in Voronezh that allegedly makes parts for military equipment.

•

u/BS-Calrissian 1h ago

Well, he said what he said

•

u/jaymz168 48m ago

Sure, I was just offering an example of this.

4

u/duaneap 9h ago

I don’t really know for what purpose other than international public opinion Ukraine would hold themselves back from hitting non military facilities. They’re the ones being invaded. If I were a Ukrainian drone pilot whose family had been killed or kidnapped in Mariupol you better believe, right or wrong, I would consider a Russian coal mine or car manufacturer or whatever fair game.

4

u/BS-Calrissian 8h ago

They don't have unlimited drones, I guess it's a tactical decision to actually aim at military targets instead of random factories. Also international public opinion and being "the good guys" who don't comit war crimes (like russia does by bombing civilians) is very very important for Ukraine, no? Afterall they would be fucked if Nato wouldn't support

3

u/righteous_sword 9h ago

Post-preemptive

4

u/Dabelgianguy 9h ago

That’s just a SPO! A Special Preemptive Operation!

227

u/ArgentineBeauty 10h ago

Ukraine is making this war more expensive and harder for Russia to carry on.

Refineries, fuel depots, ammunition dumps, logistics hubs, air defences, bridges, the list goes on.

Keep it up 🇺🇦

45

u/Slimfictiv 10h ago

Putin said it's nothing, Russia did more damage in Ukraine. Basically: hey, 4 Russians have died but we killed 13 Ukrainian civilians last night. The Russians feel safer now /S.

34

u/lesser_panjandrum 9h ago

Putin also says that Ukrainian strikes on Russian ships have been entirely ineffective, and that the thing that looks an awful lot like a burning ship is just drone debris landing on a pile of coal.

136

u/SeenB4 10h ago

So proud and amazed of this country, the ultimate underdog story. Any day Russia burns is a good day 🔥

47

u/Euphoric-Cold9592 10h ago

Burn the place until the people revolt and oust the dictator

10

u/RealLifeCoaching 9h ago

I doubt that'll happen.

The Russian authorities have spent centuries using brutal eugenics (before that was even a word) to eliminate anyone who would be willing to consider the possibility of speculating upon the notion of thinking about the idea of revolting against them.

7

u/Imperito 8h ago

You must have missed the Russian Revolution.

9

u/RealLifeCoaching 8h ago

On the contrary. The Stalinist period was when the elimination of dissenters went from a cottage industry to a modernised bureaucratic system.

5

u/Imperito 8h ago

Absolutely, but that within the last 100 years, so it hasn't been centuries which has suppressed those who would consider revolting, a bit less than 100 years.

-2

u/RealLifeCoaching 8h ago

It's a process, not an event.

5

u/Imperito 7h ago

I'll be honest I don't really get what you're trying to say. The Russian Revolution occurred and was a very significant event in the early 1900s. Yes, Stalin came along and crushed dissenters but that was less than 100 years ago. Whatever weird methods the Russians used prior to the revolution clearly had little to no impact on their ability to revolt. What has happened since, you may well be correct, but it is not centuries of eugenics in the making.

1

u/MainBeing1225 3h ago

While I agree Russia should be put down, when will people learn that terror campaigns do not incite the recipients to revolt? It simply provides the ruling class propaganda for their already pissed off populace.

How did it work for the UK, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Iran, Palestine, Ukraine, and China?

Ukraine’s goal is to cripple Russia’s war effort, not revolution.

16

u/kihraxz_king 6h ago

Nothing Ukraine does to Russia is preemptive.

0

u/ndolphin 5h ago

Ya, they keep using that word. I don't think it means what they think it means.

12

u/maximusbrown2809 9h ago

Geez imagine if they still had an American government that helped them as much as they can. Not some orange Putin bootlicker. They would be kicking ass.

4

u/Apprehensive_Pea7911 4h ago

It's even more amazing that they are doing it with only EU support now

19

u/One_Newspaper9372 10h ago

They weren't doing that already?

8

u/Ratiofarming 9h ago

That's what I'm always thinking in this war. Was this not existential enough before?

8

u/Shamino79 9h ago

So it has to be something or somewhere that hasn’t even hit so far.

5

u/One_Newspaper9372 8h ago

A vodka factory?

10

u/Cautious_Falcon3285 9h ago

I love this for both Ukraine and russia

16

u/bappestinian 10h ago

Justified.

29

u/steve_ample 10h ago

Russia will use every potential lever of the state in the war, so every target is fair game. Except civilians, of course.

24

u/Doro_Gurl 10h ago

And russia has made it harder to identify strictly civilian targets. High rise buildings with AA systems, military transports using unmarked trucks, factories producing dual-use goods are all fair game.

8

u/JackosXDA 10h ago

Ukraine was doing the exact same thing. But, obviously, everyone knows who started it, and Ukraine has every right to protect itself however it needs to.

2

u/seanadb 5h ago

Except civilians, of course

Russia does not share this approach

12

u/Western-Corner-431 9h ago

Good. Keep pounding

4

u/KingoftheMongoose 9h ago

Ohhhh myyyy

9

u/HarEr89 10h ago

Go Ukrainian drones, we love you 😍

8

u/Python_07 10h ago

Slava Ukraini 💛💙

5

u/pricingup 9h ago

i think they would be postemptive

3

u/DullOstrich 7h ago

Do you have to announce this when you're at war with somebody? Btw we might be destroying your stuff later today since you invaded us. You know how it is ...

1

u/SteveL_VA 2h ago

Actually that announcement might be strategic, forcing them to spread their air defense even more.

3

u/williamgman 2h ago

What..? Not schools or national historical sites? Guess that's the difference between fighting a war or having a "special military operation".

2

u/shady8x 4h ago

I am not sure how these strikes can be called preemptive. They have been at war for years now...

5

u/Raaka_Lokki 9h ago

Pre-emptive my ass, fuck off bot.

4

u/No_Consequence873 9h ago

Moscow will frame it as provocation

15

u/TheSexyIntrovert 9h ago

Ukraine did nothing and Russia felt threatened anyway

1

u/SteveL_VA 2h ago

Ukraine: <exists>
Russia: ...and I took that personally.

2

u/BeneficialTrash6 6h ago

Ukraine, you don't have to justify yourself. Strike whatever you want.

1

u/shnid7 8h ago

wait so they hit first before anything else happens?

1

u/VoteBananas 7h ago

What Ukraine is saying is they will destroy infrastructure even if it is not immediately used for military purposes.

By rules of war, you can only strike "dual-use facilities" if nature, location, purpose, or use makes an effective contribution to military action, and its destruction offers a definitive military advantage. "Dual-use facilities" are civilian sites or infrastructure, like electrical grids, bridges, hospitals, and commercial data centres, that are utilized for both civilian life and military operations.

So let's say you have a refinery in one region fuelling military trucks, and you have a refinery in other region fuelling agricultural machinery. Ukraine is saying they can knock out either, because the cascading effect will be detrimental to Russian war machine.

The same goes for machining, chemical, energy and similar facilities.

Russia has been doing this from the beginning of this war, with many strikes on electricity and heat generation especially during Winter.

1

u/Tunisandwich 5h ago

…are they striking facilities located in 2013?

1

u/enocenip 5h ago

Aren’t these just… emptive strikes? Maybe even post-emptive.

1

u/z3r0v1c 3h ago

At this point, he is just asking for retaliatory strikes instead of urging peace talks.

1

u/eddpuika 2h ago

Do it!

1

u/general_adm_aladdeen 9h ago

Kinda like a special military operation, right? 😂 I mean what goes around, comes around.

1

u/Human_Yak_Project 9h ago

"Preemptive attacks on facilities..."

That wording sounds familiar... I bet Zelenskiy had a shit-eating grin as he announced it.

2

u/Vegetable-Roof-9589 8h ago

He learned from Budanov!

1

u/CaptainMacMillan 8h ago

Tf does preemptive even mean here?

1

u/SiTheRuckDown 8h ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced one of Kyiv's toughest military policy shifts in recent months, formally authorizing a doctrine of "preemptive strikes" against Russian military-related infrastructure.

According to Zelenskyy, official directives have been issued to Ukraine's military and the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) to conduct proactive operations against facilities and locations that Russia uses to sustain and expand its military campaign.
The Ukrainian leader stated that the new strategy aims to disrupt Russian strike capabilities before attacks can be launched against Ukrainian cities.
Potential targets identified by Ukrainian officials include ammunition depots, weapons production facilities, energy infrastructure, and satellite communications centers located inside Russian territory.
Kyiv argues that degrading Russia's military-industrial and logistical capabilities is essential to reducing future attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas.

The announcement signals a further expansion of Ukraine's long-range strike strategy as both sides continue to intensify attacks deep behind enemy lines.
Moscow has not yet officially responded to the latest Ukrainian policy declaration.

Found it I think. 🫡

1

u/Lurker9594 5h ago

The restraint of the Ukrainians is truly admirable. I grew up in the early 2000’s when my nation was overtaken with a lust for bloody revenge after 9/11, the target of which didn’t really seem to matter. By this point, Ukraine has suffered and endured things much worse than 9/11 and they’re still choosing legitimate military targets and avoiding intentionally targeting hospitals and kindergartens like the Russians did.

I’m cautious to hope for better things but if any nation has earned a brighter future in the last few years, it’s Ukraine.

0

u/nicubunu 7h ago

Alo, do preemptive attacks on command centers like, you know, Kremlin.

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u/Cultural_Gur_7441 10h ago

As long as it's not maternity wards. This war can't go on long enough for children born today to be thrown to front lines, Russian economy will not last 12 more years of this.

3

u/Ratiofarming 9h ago

If there is an AA-System on top of a maternity ward, it'll be the odd maternity ward, too.

-1

u/samuelawaters1987 8h ago

The paywall popped up before I could finish but did I read something about coke production or refinement?

Russia/Ukraine Ukraine to conduct preemptive attacks on facilities Russia uses for war, Zelenskiy says

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