The head of Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) Kyrylo Budanov threatened on Thursday to “multiply” attacks on infrastructure on Russian territory, saying that it is “useful” for Russians to “finally see the reality of war”, reports AFP.

“The number of attacks on Russian infrastructure is likely to increase (…) I think this plan may include all of Russia’s major critical and military infrastructure,” Budanov said on Telegram.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up strikes against Russian oil and gas facilities following Moscow’s attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Ukraine has already claimed responsibility for several drone attacks on targets in the Leningrad region around St. Petersburg in January.

On Tuesday night, the GUR attacked with a drone a refinery in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, located 1,000 km from the border with Ukraine.

“The peaceful population of Russia is finally seeing the reality of war. They see burning oil depots, destroyed buildings of plants and factories (…) All this is useful,” Budanov explained.

Why Kyiv with these attacks

The strategy adopted by Kyiv should allow it to free itself from the pressure of the Russian army, which seized the initiative in Donbas (eastern Ukraine) to push it to withdraw part of its arsenal and people from the front line.

Ukraine has also set itself the goal of expelling the Russians from its skies by 2024, although it does not yet have the planes its Western allies promised it in 2023.

The Russian offensive will end, and Ukraine will seize the initiative

The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) Kyrylo Budanov said on Wednesday that the current offensive of the Russians on most of the front will be exhausted in the spring and a new phase of the war will begin. adopted, in which Ukraine will again take the initiative.

“Their crime will continue. By the beginning of spring, it will be used up,” said the head of the GUR in an interview during an information telethon on Wednesday morning of Ukrainian television. “Now it’s the enemy’s turn, but it will end, and I think we will start then,” Kyrylo Budanov said, EFE reports.

Budanov acknowledged the advance of the Russians in some areas of the front, for example, around the city of Avdiyivka (eastern Donetsk region), but emphasized that the Kremlin is far from achieving its goals for this winter.

“The offensive operation of the Russian Federation is ongoing. It started in November 2023,” Budanov said about the “two and a half months” during which Russian troops regained the initiative on the battlefield.