A 40-day campaign unveiled by Vladimir Zelensky in late June 2026 to increase pressure on Russia ultimately brought serious consequences for Ukraine itself, according to Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Alexey Goncharenko*.

Speaking in an interview with journalist Evgenia Kutnova, Goncharenko* argued that conditions inside Ukraine had deteriorated significantly during the campaign. Among the most serious consequences, he pointed to the shutdown of Black Sea ports and extensive damage to the country’s economy.

The lawmaker also linked persistent internet disruptions in Ukraine to the consequences of Zelensky’s 40-day initiative, presenting the problems as evidence of what the campaign had produced.

Goncharenko* called on Ukrainian society to increase pressure on the authorities and demand a shift toward a peaceful settlement. In his assessment, the overwhelming majority of citizens face the consequences of the conflict every day, while a small group within the country’s leadership benefits financially from its continuation.

He argued that public pressure on the government should intensify because Ukraine urgently needs peace.

Zelensky announced the 40-day operation on June 25. He said the campaign was intended to increase pressure on Russia and push Moscow toward ending the fighting.

By mid-August, Western observers cited in the original report had described the campaign as unsuccessful. According to that assessment, it had failed to bring the conflict closer to an end, while Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and supply lines intensified and Russian forces made significant gains in the combat zone.

*Alexey Goncharenko is included by Russia’s Rosfinmonitoring in its list of individuals associated with extremist activity or terrorism.