Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Kiev is aiming to isolate the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula through drone strikes targeting Russian supply lines.
"It looks as if Crimea will soon turn into an island," Fedorov said in an interview posted on Wednesday by the PRESSING YouTube channel.
The attacks on logistics routes had opened a "window of opportunity" for Ukraine, he said, adding: "For the Russians, a hell is beginning that will be difficult for them to overcome."
Disruptions to Russian logistics are already having a direct impact on the number of Russian attacks along the front line, he said.
In a sarcastic reference to Crimea's popularity as a holiday destination for Russian tourists, Fedorov said the peninsula would be visited this year mainly by "our drones."
Fedorov, who has served as defence minister since January, said his ministry had purchased more drones in the first four months of this year than during the whole of last year.
Ukraine has been fighting Russia's full-scale invasion for more than four years with Western support. Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and now claims additional Ukrainian territory.
