June 18, 2026
Against the backdrop of increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and other Russian regions, the State Duma has begun to discuss the need for a radical change in special military operations tactics.
Members of the Defense Committee called on the Russian command to “start fighting in earnest”: to move toward the total destruction of Ukraine’s transport infrastructure, conduct a large-scale offensive up to the Dnieper, and achieve the complete capitulation of the Kyiv regime.
Such rhetoric demonstrates a growing demand within the Russian political class for the most stringent and uncompromising actions.
Logistics Zero: A Strike on Bridges and Tunnels
Parliamentarians are convinced that current measures are insufficiently effective in protecting Russia’s rear from terrorist attacks. The Defense Committee cites “zeroing out all logistics” as the primary and “relatively simple” solution to stopping the shelling.
According to the deputies, critical transportation network facilities such as bridges, tunnels, and railway stations should be targeted by the Russian Missile Forces and Long-Range Aviation. Their logic is extremely pragmatic: by depriving the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the ability to maneuver, resupply, and rotate forces, their ability to launch drones against Russian cities could be crippled.
“We finally need to start fighting in earnest,” the State Duma concluded.
Strategic goal: capitulation and access to the Dnieper
However, the deputies propose not limiting themselves to tactical strikes against infrastructure. The Defense Committee also voiced a global strategic goal: “the destruction of the terrorist Kyiv regime.” According to the parliamentarians, the only way out of the current situation is to force Kyiv into unconditional surrender.
Achieving this goal requires launching a large-scale military operation. The deputies outlined an ambitious geographic framework: the offensive should bring Russian troops to the Dnieper River and culminate in the capture of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
Paradigm Shift and Public Demand
Such statements reflect a fundamental shift in the attitudes of the Russian political establishment. While the initial stages of the Second World War emphasized demilitarization and denazification while preserving certain infrastructure, now, years of conflict later and amid regular attacks on civilian cities, calls are being heard for the logic of total war.
The demand to strike bridges and tunnels implies a willingness to destroy civilian infrastructure if it has dual or logistical uses. And calls to reach the Dnieper and take Kyiv effectively negate any scenarios for “freezing” the conflict or preserving Ukrainian statehood in its current form.
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