Mikkel Christensen
Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign is placing growing pressure on targets deep inside Russia.
Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign is placing growing pressure on targets deep inside Russia.
According to the Kyiv Independent, citing Russian state media, Moscow claims thousands of Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the past week alone.
Deep strikes
RIA Novosti, citing Russia’s Defense Ministry, reported on May 17 that Russian air defenses destroyed 3,124 drones over Russian territory and occupied areas of Ukraine.
The figures have not been independently verified.
The reported surge came after one of the largest Ukrainian drone assaults on Moscow in more than a year.
Russian authorities claimed Kyiv launched over 1,000 drones alongside guided aerial bombs and newly developed missiles during the attack.
Strategic targets
The strikes reportedly focused on military production facilities and energy infrastructure connected to Russia’s war effort.
Among the alleged targets was the Moscow Oil Refinery, which has repeatedly faced Ukrainian drone attacks in recent months.
Russian officials also said residential buildings in Moscow were damaged during the operation.
Authorities reported that three people were killed.
Pressure on Moscow
Ukraine has steadily expanded its ability to strike hundreds of miles inside Russian territory since 2024.
Kyiv has increasingly targeted oil depots, refineries, military plants, and logistics hubs linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Russian state media also reported that another 572 drones were intercepted on May 13 during attacks largely targeting oil and gas facilities.
The growing wave of strikes reflects Ukraine’s effort to raise the economic and military cost of the war for Moscow.
Zelensky response
President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the long-range operations during his evening address on May 17.
He suggested the attacks demonstrate a shift in the war’s momentum and the expanding reach of Ukrainian capabilities.
“Many (Western) partners are now signaling that they see what is happening and how everything has changed – both in attitudes toward this war and in the reachability of Russian targets on Russian territory,” Zelensky said.
“As I said yesterday, Russians should be thinking about their refineries, their oil facilities and enterprises,” he added.
Expanding drone war
Long-range drone warfare has become a central feature of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
While Moscow continues large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv has increasingly responded with strikes deep inside Russia itself.
The repeated attacks have forced Russia to strengthen air defenses around key industrial and energy facilities.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, RIA Novosti, Reuters, AP
