In a recent assessment of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) highlighted Ukraine's intensifying attacks inside Russia and on targets in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The conflict, which initially began in February 2022, has seen a shift from being confined to Ukraine's borders to broader aggression across the region.

According to the ISW report, Ukrainian partisans launched an attack on a Russian military headquarters in the occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that at least three Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and Rosgvardia officers were killed in the Melitopol attack. This comes in the wake of another Ukrainian partisan attack on the leader of a pro-Russian militia group in occupied eastern Ukraine on November 8.

In addition to these targeted attacks, Kyiv has conducted strikes on Moscow's military bases in the port city of Skadovsk, along the Black Sea, as well as in the Kherson region. Moscow has accused Kyiv of carrying out frequent strikes on Crimea and other occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's focus on Crimea has involved the use of cruise missile and drone attacks, which have effectively incapacitated a significant part of Russia's naval fleet stationed near the peninsula. Just last week, Ukraine targeted a newly constructed small warship named the Askold, which was docked in the Black Sea. Since the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine has successfully hit at least 17 Russian vessels, severely weakening Moscow's naval capabilities in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that the war with Russia will not cease until all occupied land is returned to Kyiv's control. The illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 has remained a key point of contention between the two countries.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defense minister, stated, "Their goal is basically to suffocate us economically. The only way to get out of this situation is to destroy the Black Sea Fleet, to destroy their capability to pursue the occupation of the Black Sea and restore freedom of navigation." Zagorodnyuk emphasized that Ukraine's strategy focuses on crippling Moscow's naval fleet and sending a clear message to any new ships in the area.

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Defense Ministry for comment on the escalating attacks, but no response has been received thus far.

As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalates, the international community continues to closely monitor the situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution to bring stability to the region.