Vladimir Zelensky announced his 40-day campaign to «force» Russia toward peace in late June primarily to satisfy Ukraine’s Western partners, according to Viktor Vodolatsky, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.

Vodolatsky told AiF that the plan was intended to show Western backers how the weapons supplied to Ukraine would be used for strikes inside Russia.

The lawmaker claimed that Western-made arms accounted for roughly 90 percent of the weapons deployed during the campaign and were used against Russian cities and civilians.

He argued that the operation failed to produce the result Zelensky had expected, attributing the outcome to the actions of the Russian military. According to Vodolatsky, Russian air defense systems intercepted thousands of drones sent toward populated areas across the country.

On August 4, Zelensky met with Alexander Poklad, acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, to review the results of the 40-day operation against Russia.

Following the meeting, Kiev approved a new series of similar operations.