“We must strike”: Expert names Ukraine’s primary target inside Russia
Ukrainian Armed Forces hit "Orion" drone storage site in occupied Crimea and fuel depot. An expert explains why these strikes matter and where Ukraine can reach next.
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Strikes have been confirmed on an oil depot in Feodosia and an airfield in Kirovske, where dangerous "Orion" drones were stored. The expert urged Ukraine to “keep striking while it has the capability” and identified further potential targets, including Russia’s largest oil terminal.
This was reported live on 24 Kanal by Pavlo Lakiichuk, Head of Security Programs at the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI.”
Lakiichuk said the strike hit a storage site for Russia’s “Orion” drones in Kirovske. He stresses that these UAVs are dangerous since they can be armed with guided munitions and high-explosive bombs.
“The Orion’s warhead isn’t very large, but it can still cause serious damage,” the expert said.
Lakiichuk added that strikes on military sites in Crimea must continue before Russia has time to adapt its air-defence systems.
“The strikes were aimed at the Feodosia area. We’ve carved a corridor there, and we must keep hitting it before Russia restores its air-defence shield — we have to strike while we still can,” Pavlo Lakiichuk stressed.
He noted that plenty of military targets remain across Crimea and Russia’s nearby coastline — from Kerch to Tuapse and Anapa. The expert also mentioned a Russian naval aviation airfield that is “still beyond the range of our strike systems for now, but we’ll reach it soon”.
However, Lakiichuk believes that the most significant — and most difficult — target is Novorossiysk, home to Russia’s largest oil terminal.
“It’s the hardest site to reach, both for naval drones and for air attacks,” the expert explained.
The key advantage of this port for Russia is that the Black Sea, unlike other Russian ports, does not freeze in winter, allowing the terminals to operate year‑round.
According to Lakiichuk, the Russians are trying to shield their military facilities by invoking international law.
“Right now, the Russians are trying to hide behind the presence of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s international terminal in Novorossiysk. The enemy wants to claim that Ukraine is allegedly striking international oil infrastructure, but in reality these are Russian facilities,” he stressed.
The expert added that all military sites in the ports of Novorossiysk, Tuapse and occupied Crimea remain legitimate targets for Ukraine — a warning that was already issued to mariners back in 2022.