Ukraine will carry out more operations in Russia, and will change tactics in order to remain "one step ahead" of Russia, Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said on air on March 25.
The SBU and Ukraine's military intelligence have engaged in an increasingly active campaign against targets within Russia, including an uptick in strikes against oil refineries.
A total of 12 Russian oil refineries were successfully hit in multiple regions deep inside Russian territory as of March 17, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a source from the SBU.
A 13th refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast partially stopped production on March 25 after an alleged drone attack.
Maliuk said that "Russia should expect more attacks" but that the nature of the strikes will change because "Ukraine never repeats itself." He added that since the beginning of the full-scale war, the SBU and other security agencies have been responsible for destroying over 800 Russian tanks, as well as other armored vehicles.
Maliuk also said that Russia no longer uses the Crimean Bridge to supply weapons to the front after Ukrainian strikes damaged the crossing.
The bridge, also called the Kerch Bridge, connects the Russian mainland with the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, making it a crucial supply route for the Russian military in Ukraine.
Construction on the 19-kilometer-long (~12 miles) bridge began after the illegal 2014 annexation and occupation of Crimea and was completed in 2018.
The bridge was heavily damaged in Ukrainian strikes in October 2022 and July 2023. The plan to strike the bridge was first conceived in March 2022, Maliuk said.
Chris York
(Updated: )
