'We understand all their weak points' — Zelensky 'satisfied' with Ukraine's '40-day campaign,' suggests more strikes on Russian logistics planned

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 8 that he was "satisfied" with the result of a 40-day influence operation designed to compel Russia to "end the war," suggesting that Kyiv's forces will continue to strike Russian logistics beyond the limited timeline.

Zelensky tasked Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) to launch the 40-day operation in late June, with the operation culminating with Ukraine's crippling of dozens of Russian tankers supplying occupied Crimea, as well as the destruction of numerous warehouses across the country belonging to online retailer Wildberries.

Details of what the campaign actually constituted remained sparse until it ended, when the SBU released a statement on Aug. 4 clarifying the actions that the agency claimed were part of it. According to the statement, the campaign "was aimed at simultaneously weakening key elements of the Russian military machine."

"I am satisfied, absolutely. In terms of our logistical responses, we understand how much they have lost; they have major problems," Zelensky said in a wide-ranging interview on Ukraine's marathon television program.

"After they began striking our logistics, we found another logistical operation and responded to them. The losses there are staggering — one trillion rubles ($12.2 billion). It was a very successful operation by Ukrainian forces," the president added.

Despite not achieving an end to Russia's full-scale war, Ukrainian officials familiar with the planning previously told the Kyiv Independent that one of the operation's central political objectives was looking further ahead than the stated 40 days — to force Russians to experience the consequences of the war more directly with a view to influencing elections in September.

In his interview comments, Zelensky alluded to the impact the war was having on the Russian population, issuing thinly veiled threats that strikes on Russian logistics will continue.

"They have for a long time allowed themselves to target non-military targets, and they must know that Ukraine strikes military targets. But if they continue, we understand all their weak points... We have not had a normal life or such habits since the beginning of Russia's aggression. Russia does not feel this. Obviously, goods that do not reach ordinary consumers in Russia because of a lack of logistics will, understandably, be felt by people in Russia," Zelensky said.

"I would not advise Russia to continue striking Ukrainian logistics, because we have clearly studied what Russia's logistics look like."

Amid Ukraine's efforts to target logistics facilities, Russia has intensified its efforts to launch large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities — with Ukraine facing a shortage of air defense capabilities.

Another overnight attack on Kyiv on Aug. 8, killed four people, including a three-year-old child, and injured eight others, Zelensky and local officials reported.