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Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict four years on.

Dozens of miles behind Russian lines, a Ukrainian drone feed shows an unsuspecting Russian military truck idling. Then the feed cuts out as the drone slams into the vehicle. It’s a scene repeated over and over again on Ukrainian social media in recent weeks as the country leans into a new phase of its war against Russia.

The strikes, which have seen Ukrainian drones range almost 100 miles behind Russian lines, are part of a major campaign to starve Russian troops of supplies. And they’re an important factor in spurring optimism that Ukraine finally is gaining the upper hand.

Dozens of miles behind Russian lines, a Ukrainian drone feed shows an unsuspecting Russian military truck idling. Then the feed cuts out as the drone slams into the vehicle. It’s a scene repeated over and over again on Ukrainian social media in recent weeks as the country leans into a new phase of its war against Russia.

The strikes, which have seen Ukrainian drones range almost 100 miles behind Russian lines, are part of a major campaign to starve Russian troops of supplies. And they’re an important factor in spurring optimism that Ukraine finally is gaining the upper hand.

“The situation is better now than it was a year ago—this is one of the clear differences,” said Rob Lee, a Eurasia expert at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) who regularly visits the front line.

Last year, Ukraine’s military was struggling to fend off Russian attacks, a task made all the harder by frequent Russian strikes on Ukrainian logistics and a deep manpower shortage in the Ukrainian army.

Now, thanks in part to the strike campaign—along with high Russian casualties, domestic discontent in Russia, and other factors—Ukraine appears more confident that it can end the war on favorable terms. On Monday, Kyrylo Budanov, a former top military commander and current chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said peace might be achievable by winter.

Ukraine’s mid-range attack drones force Russia to either take........

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