The 40-Day Operation Deadline

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 25 that he had approved a 40-day Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) operation aimed at increasing pressure on Russia and pushing Moscow toward ending its war against Ukraine. The stated aim was to persuade Russia into accepting a ceasefire. The deadline has now passed – yet Putin’s war continues unabated. In your view, has the 40-day operation failed?JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The formal foreign policy objective was not achieved. However, Ukraine’s new combat strategy – involving the massive deployment of long-range drones to damage Russian economic infrastructure – has been successful during this period, both in terms of global political and psychological impact and from an economic and social perspective. On the one hand, the worldwide perception of the Russo-Ukrainian War has changed. While the war was viewed by many observers as being dominated by Russia up until spring 2026, Ukraine is now presenting itself as an equal adversary that is putting the Kremlin under pressure. Furthermore, the economic and social consequences of the Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries, ports, logistics centers and other targets are becoming increasingly apparent. The 40-day deadline was probably, above all, a signal from Ukraine to Russia’s economic elite that a new phase of the war had now begun. Why has the campaign failed to achieve its stated political objective? The campaign was announced in the hope that the Russian leadership would respond to the destruction of key infrastructure by moderating its war aims and negotiating position. This hope has not been realized, even though the consequences for Russia of Ukraine’s current technological superiority in the drone war are severe and continue to mount. Apparently, the war itself has now become too important for the Kremlin to lead to a policy change at this stage, because of the growing social tensions. Other Topics of Interest They Missed the Last Train: Russian Strike Kills 8 at Kyiv Region Station A delayed train left passengers waiting at Kvitneve station when a Russian strike hit, killing eight people during Moscow’s latest massive attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region. Has Ukraine nevertheless inflicted tangible damage on Russia over the past 40 days – militarily, economically or psychologically? The mood in Russia has changed noticeably in recent weeks. There is an ever-increasing polarization between supporters and opponents of continuing the war. While during the first four years of the large-scale invasion the war remained a distant event for most Russians, more and more people are now being affected by its socio-economic consequences in one form or another: rising petrol prices, a shrinking range of goods and services, higher costs of living, etc. Was the aim of forcing the Kremlin to back down within 40 days unrealistic from the outset? The 40-day deadline was probably, above all, a signal from Ukraine to Russia’s economic elite that a new phase of the war had now begun. So far, however, this has merely led to Russian business magnates increasingly shifting their wealth abroad. What lessons is the Ukrainian leadership likely to draw from this operation? The key lesson is that greater pressure on Russia’s economy is needed to bring about a change in Moscow’s political stance. The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post. Andreas Umland Andreas Umland is an Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies in the Swedish Institute for International Affairs in Stockholm, and an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. He is also editor of ibidem Press's academic book series "Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society," and coordinator of the non-fiction series "Ukrainian Voices," both distributed by Columbia University Press.