East of the Eastern Front 3: Escalating Infrastructure Attacks
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/03/30
Mark Temnycky is a Ukrainian-American analyst and freelance journalist specializing in American, European, and Eurasian affairs. He serves as a Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center (since December 2021), and he is a geopolitics contributor at Forbes. Previously, he spent nearly seven years as a U.S. defense contractor supporting the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment. His work appears across leading outlets and think tanks, with a curated portfolio of articles and media available online.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen interviews Mark Temnycky, a Ukrainian-American analyst and Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, about Russia’s escalating drone and missile campaign against Ukraine in early March 2026. Temnycky explains that the barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles coinciding with peace discussions reflects a recurring Russian tactic: strike Ukraine while diplomacy unfolds. He notes a strategic shift toward targeting railway infrastructure to disrupt logistics, evacuations, and military supply chains. The attacks, which increasingly damage civilian infrastructure and residential areas, form part of a broader strategy of exhaustion designed to weaken Ukrainian morale, degrade defense capabilities, and signal Moscow’s lack of genuine commitment to peace negotiations.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: AP News reported on drone strikes during Geneva talks. How did Russia’s large-scale drone and missile attacks affect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in early March 2026?
Mark Temnycky: Russia’s large-scale drone and missile attacks in early March 2026 were consistent with a pattern the Russians have employed throughout the war. Just hours before U.S. and Ukrainian envoys convened in Geneva, Russia launched a barrage of 420 drones and 39 missiles targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas across eight regions of Ukraine, injuring dozens of people, including children. According to the Chronicle Online and UNITED24 Media, February 2026 alone saw Russia launch 288 missiles at Ukraine, along with more than 5,000 long-range drones.
The timing of these strikes was telling. Russia launched attacks on Ukraine precisely as peace negotiation gatherings were underway, a pattern we have seen repeatedly throughout the war, where Russia has launched attacks on Ukraine ahead of peace negotiation gatherings.
Jacobsen: Reuters reported on a passenger train. Why has Russia intensified strikes on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, including the drone attack on an empty passenger train in Mykolaiv?
Temnycky: Russia’s intensified strikes on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure reflect a clear strategic shift. Russia attempted to destroy Ukraine’s power grid to weaken Ukrainian morale. This did not break the country. Now, Russia appears to be targeting the rail network to disrupt military logistics, hamper civilian evacuations, and undermine Ukraine’s ability to supply frontline regions. According to Reuters and Ukrzaliznytsia, a Russian drone struck an empty passenger train in Mykolaiv on March 4, injuring a railway worker. The Russians also launched 18 strikes on railway infrastructure, which damaged 41 facilities.
These attacks are not random. Ukraine’s rail network is essential to its war effort, moving soldiers, equipment, and humanitarian supplies across the country. By targeting rolling stock and rail infrastructure, Russia is attempting to hinder Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.
Jacobsen: Swiss Info reported on more drone strikes and missiles across several regions of Ukraine. What do the current strike patterns indicate now?
Temnycky: The current strike patterns indicate that Russia has no intention of pursuing a genuine peace agreement. Just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed potential next steps in peace talks, Russia launched drone and missile strikes across Ukraine.
The strikes are deliberately broad, targeting energy infrastructure, residential areas, railway systems, and civilian facilities across multiple regions simultaneously. This is a strategy of exhaustion, intended to break Ukrainian morale and weaken the country’s ability to defend itself.
Jacobsen: SFGate reported on attacks on residential buildings and injuring civilians in Zaporizhzhia. Is this a continuation of the ongoing expansion of targeting civilians as well as civilian infrastructure?
Temnycky: Yes, this is part of an ongoing, deliberate pattern by the Russian Federation. Russia has never restricted its strikes to military targets in Ukraine. Throughout the war, Ukrainian residential buildings, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, and other civilian facilities have been repeatedly and systematically targeted by Russia.
Jacobsen: Thank you very much for the opportunity and your time, Mark.
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