Ukraine's 40-Day Secret Op Pushes for Russia's Defeat, Ex-NATO Commander Says

Ukraine’s security service received approval from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a 40-day special operation aimed at “encouraging” Russia to end the war, according to a military analyst who said the operation may already be underway [183841]. At the same time, a former high-ranking NATO official who served as the alliance’s second-in-command is now inside Ukraine’s military command and pushing for a strategy the alliance will not officially endorse: total victory over Russia [184052]. The former commander argues that the war will only end when Russia is defeated on the battlefield, warning that any negotiated settlement would allow Moscow to regroup and attack again [184052]. His position contrasts sharply with NATO’s public stance of helping Ukraine defend itself without calling for Russia’s outright defeat [184052].

In a separate but related development, Ukrainian forces have been systematically dismantling Russia’s military infrastructure in occupied Crimea for years, according to military officials [184047]. The latest attack targeted a rail bridge near the town of İçki, a key supply route used to move troops and equipment across the peninsula [184047]. Ukrainian officials describe the operation as part of a long-term campaign to weaken what Moscow once called its “fortress” in the Black Sea [184047]. No official casualty figures have been released, and Russia has not confirmed the extent of the damage [184047].