Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Russia continues to rely on military force despite ongoing peace negotiations with the U.S.
These developments signal a dual-track strategy where Ukraine maintains aggressive military pressure to weaken Russian infrastructure while simultaneously seeking a diplomatic exit through American mediation.
Budanov said that Ukraine is planning new ballistic missile strikes to disrupt Russian capabilities. This military escalation coincides with significant logistical failures within Russia, where gasoline shortages have affected approximately 50 regions [1].
Beyond land-based disruptions, Ukrainian drones have targeted dozens of vessels belonging to the "shadow fleet" [2]. This fleet is used by Russia to bypass international sanctions and export oil. Budanov said a series of fires at Wildberries warehouses have persisted for two weeks [3].
Despite the continued combat operations, diplomatic channels remain active. Budanov said that peace negotiations with the U.S. are currently underway to find a resolution to the conflict.
Regarding the timeline of the conflict, Budanov said that the war could potentially end by the conclusion of 2026 [4]. This projection comes as Ukraine attempts to balance the necessity of military victory with the practicalities of international diplomacy.
“Russia continues to rely on military force despite ongoing peace negotiations with the US.”
The strategy described by Budanov suggests that Ukraine is attempting to create a 'crisis of stability' within Russia—targeting fuel supplies, commercial logistics, and sanction-evasion shipping—to force the Kremlin toward the negotiating table. By synchronizing these internal Russian disruptions with high-level US diplomacy, Ukraine aims to increase its leverage before the projected 2026 conclusion of the war.
