 |
VOOZH | about |
|
VOOZH | about |
Russian pro-war bloggers admit Ukraine’s strikes on Baltic oil infrastructure and defense plants are biting, warning Moscow may face a “shameful peace” amid mounting losses.
Russian pro-war bloggers are increasingly acknowledging the effectiveness of Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, warning that mounting losses could force Moscow toward what they describe as a “shameful peace,” according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In its latest assessment, ISW reports that a prominent Russian military commentator said Western economic power – backing Ukraine – is “orders of magnitude” greater than Russia’s and is now being felt on the battlefield, particularly through large-scale drone strikes involving hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The milblogger warned that such attacks are likely to intensify and argued that Russia lacks the industrial capacity to produce enough interceptor missiles to counter them, leaving it “doomed to defeat” unless it urgently “solves the problem of ending the war.”
According to the commentator, Russia faces two stark options: agree to a “shameful peace” or attempt a decisive strategic offensive – something he suggested the Kremlin is not politically prepared to undertake.
These assessments come amid a wave of successful Ukrainian strikes targeting Russia’s Baltic Sea oil infrastructure, which are already having tangible economic effects.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported on Monday, March 30, that attacks on Russian Baltic ports, ongoing since March 24, have halted a significant portion of oil exports – including shipments from Primorsk, Russia’s largest Baltic crude export terminal.
Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted key facilities, including oil storage tanks at the Kinef refinery in Kirishi, infrastructure at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal, and the Transneft oil terminal at Primorsk. Ukrainian strikes also hit a Project 23550 Purga-class patrol icebreaker at the Vyborg Shipyard.
Russian pro-war bloggers are now beginning to admit broader battlefield challenges, according to the ISW.
One milblogger complained that Russian forces are unlikely to reverse the current unfavorable situation in the coming months, saying that Ukrainian counterattacks have disrupted Moscow’s offensive planning for 2026.
Senior Russian officials are also signaling more limited ambitions. State Duma Defense Committee Deputy Chair Alexei Zhuravlyov said the battle for Kostyantynivka (Donetsk region) has not been decisive and suggested Russia should instead focus on capturing Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Russian commentators also highlighted Ukraine’s growing effectiveness in its mid-range battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign, which is disrupting logistics dozens of kilometers behind the front line.
They pointed to persistent Russian issues, including communications problems following restrictions on Starlink access and a shortage of electronic warfare systems.
One milblogger said that Ukrainian forces are now “surpassing” Russian troops in technological adaptation, acknowledging the effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones and criticizing Russia’s slow response to evolving drone warfare.
He warned that Russia cannot achieve a breakthrough or even hold current positions relying on manpower alone.
These criticisms come as the Kremlin has intensified efforts to tighten control over the pro-war information space amid rising dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s defense industrial base appear to be expanding.
Ukrainian drones hit the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog, damaging production workshops involved in manufacturing attack and reconnaissance drones. The Ukrainian attacks also reportedly damaged facilities at the Beriev Aircraft Plant, which services Tu-95 strategic bombers and A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Local officials, including Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar, acknowledged damage to industrial sites in Taganrog.
In Samara Oblast, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said Ukrainian forces struck an industrial facility in Tolyatti. Geolocated footage showed a fire at the KuibyshevAzot chemical plant – a site previously targeted multiple times in March.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a closed-door meeting with oligarchs on March 26, urging them to “throw money” into Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to The Bell, an independent outlet.
Citing unnamed sources, the outlet reported that Putin made clear the Kremlin has no intention of ending the war.
“They said we will fight... We will go to the borders of Donbas,” sources familiar with the discussions said.
Putin urged oligarchs to make “voluntary contributions.” At least two reportedly agreed. Billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is said to have pledged 100 billion rubles ($1.2 billion), while another oligarch promised a significant, undisclosed sum.
Earlier, former US ambassador to Ukraine John E. Herbst told Kyiv Post that “Putin wants the fighting to continue.”
He recalled that Moscow has rejected multiple peace proposals accepted by Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, while trying to drive a wedge between Kyiv and Washington.
According to Herbst, the Kremlin is now seeking to halt US intelligence sharing and weapons transfers to Ukraine, while publicly flattering US President Donald Trump.
Herbst added he would be “surprised” if Russia had not offered to stop sharing intelligence with Iran in exchange for the US cutting support to Ukraine.
“His [Putin’s] war is not doing very well… and he has paid a great price for the big invasion,” Herbst said, adding that Ukraine remains Putin’s central national security concern.
Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.
