Ukraine Blasts Russian Fuel Depots, Tests Cheap New Drone-Killer Missiles
Ukraine is hitting Russian supply lines hard while rolling out cheap new weapons to defend its own skies, as the war enters a new phase of low-cost, high-impact tactics.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian fuel depots and supply routes in occupied territories, worsening a fuel crisis for Moscow and making it harder for Russian forces to move troops and equipment [169625]. Kyiv is targeting infrastructure essential for both military operations and civilian life, creating shortages that also affect residents in occupied areas [169625]. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian drones are actively working to sever two major highways Russia depends on to supply its war effort; if cut, critical supplies like fuel, artillery shells, and reinforcements cannot reach occupied Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk [168222].
At the same time, Ukraine is testing a new, low-cost surface-to-air projectile developed by domestic arms manufacturer Fire Point [169637]. The company says these projectiles offer a cheap alternative to expensive missile defense systems like the American-made Patriot, marking a step in Ukraine’s effort to build affordable, domestically produced weapons against ongoing Russian air strikes [169637]. Ukraine has also unveiled a new drone interceptor called the Litavr, designed to shoot down enemy drones using small size, low cost, and smart technology [169073]. Experts see the Litavr as part of a broader national effort to build cheap, effective weapons that can be produced at scale [169073].
Latvia and Ukraine have signed a new agreement to expand joint drone production and defense cooperation, aiming to turn Ukraine’s battlefield drone experience into structured cooperation with international partners [169065]. Ukraine also plans to modernize its rocket and artillery forces by 2030, building more powerful missiles, improving reconnaissance systems, and phasing out old Soviet-era equipment [169066].
Despite these efforts, Russian attacks continue to take a heavy civilian toll. On 8-9 June, Russian attacks killed at least 11 civilians and wounded 61 others across Ukraine, including in Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Donetsk oblasts [169076]. In Zaporizhzhia and Sumy on 8 June, drone strikes on residential areas killed three civilians and wounded dozens more, with no military targets reported in the affected zones [169358].