Ukrainian Mid-Range Strikes Doubled Since March — 129 Russian Air Defense Systems Destroyed; Chaklun-V Hits Smolensk Aviation Plant

Analysis published May 19, 2026 (Reuters/US News) documented a dramatic acceleration in Ukraine's medium-depth strike campaign targeting Russian-held territory 30–180 km behind the front lines. President Zelensky confirmed the tempo of 'middle strikes' had doubled since March 2026 and quadrupled since February, with Ukrainian forces destroying at least 129 Russian air-defense systems in Russian-occupied areas year-to-date. Targets include Russian radars, short and medium-range air defense batteries, communications infrastructure, logistics nodes, and large military vehicles. Ukrainian Chaklun-V UAVs struck the Smolensk Aviation Plant, where Su-25 ground-attack aircraft are maintained and modernized — a key long-range target degrading Russia's air combat capacity. The mid-range campaign is running in parallel with Ukraine's record deep-strike drone campaign against Russian energy and military-industrial targets, with Zelensky reporting the largest combined damage to Russian oil infrastructure since the war began. Russia reduced crude output from drone strikes on ports and refineries. The dual campaign — blinding frontline Russian air defenses via mid-range strikes while hitting rear infrastructure with long-range drones — represents the most coordinated Ukrainian strike strategy of the war to date.