# Zelensky approves SBU 40-day pressure campaign aimed at forcing Russia to end the war
> Ukraine's Security Service launches a classified influence and covert-action operation, running alongside military strikes, as Kyiv intensifies multi-domain pressure on Moscow

**Meta:** type: story · date: 2026-06-25 · heads: How Wars Actually End, What They're Not Saying · 4 takes · 3 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

[Zelensky](/en/entity/zelensky) announced on June 25 that he has approved a 40-day [SBU](/en/entity/ukraine) operation designed to create maximum pressure on [Russia](/en/entity/russia) and compel it to end the [war](/en/entity/ukraine-russia-war). No operational details were disclosed. The campaign runs alongside the military track: the SBU's Liutyi drone unit struck two Bashneft refineries in Ufa the same week, and SBU-linked sabotage operations inside Russia have been ongoing since 2024. The 40-day framing is unusual and public, suggesting a deliberate signal to Moscow as much as an operational directive.

## Why it matters

A named, time-bounded pressure campaign from the security services is a rare public declaration. It signals that [Ukraine](/en/entity/ukraine) is pursuing a coordinated multi-domain strategy, combining deep drone strikes, covert operations, and information warfare, to force a negotiating shift at the [Geneva talks](/en/n/ukraine-russia-geneva-territory-talks). The 40-day window ends in early August, overlapping with the period when Western partners have set benchmarks for evaluating further aid.

## What to watch

- Whether SBU operations inside Russia escalate visibly in the next two weeks as the campaign takes effect.
- Any Russian counter-intelligence response or retaliatory cyber or infrastructure strikes.
- Whether the [Geneva talks](/en/n/ukraine-russia-geneva-territory-talks) reflect pressure from the campaign within the 40-day window.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### Ukrainian wire, official statement reporting
- **Interfax-Ukraine** (Ukraine, en) — Reports Zelensky's announcement that he has approved an SBU operation lasting 40 days and aimed at creating maximum pressure on Russia to end the war; no operational details disclosed. Timestamp: 20:26 Kyiv time (17:26 UTC).
  > "Zelensky said he has approved a 40-day SBU operation to create maximum pressure on Russia and force it to end the war."
  Source: https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1179707.html

### Ukrainian record-of-war press
- **Ukrainska Pravda** (Ukraine, uk) — Ukrainska Pravda's report on Zelensky's Telegram post announcing the SBU campaign; notes it follows the Ufa refinery strikes and Crimea raids as part of a coordinated escalation across military, intelligence, and covert domains.
  > "Zelensky announced approval of a 40-day SBU pressure campaign against Russia, the latest element in a week of coordinated Ukrainian escalation."
  Source: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/25/8041138/

### unlabelled
- **Kyiv Independent** (Ukraine, en) — 
  Source: https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-sbu-to-wage-40-day-pressure-campaign-against-russia-zelensky-says/
- **Meduza** (Latvia (Russian-language), ru) — 
  Source: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/06/25/zelensky-says-ukraine-s-security-service-has-approved-a-40-day-influence-operation-to-force-russia-to-end-the-war

## Across the graph
- Related: [[ukraine-ufa-refinery-strikes-jun25]], [[russia-kyiv-ballistic-jun25]], [[ukraine-crimea-overnight-drone-jun25]], [[ukraine-russia-geneva-territory-talks]]
- Entities: Ukraine, Russia, Zelensky, Ukraine Russia War

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/ukraine-sbu-40day-pressure-jun25