Kathrine Frich
The war in Ukraine is being fought in ways rarely seen before, with drones now shaping the battlefield as much as tanks or artillery.
Long-range strikes, remote attacks and real-time surveillance have turned even the deepest rear areas into potential targets.
That shift was underlined by a bold Ukrainian drone attack that struck one of Russia’s most secret military facilities, dealing a blow to Vladimir Putin’s prized weapons programme.
Deep inside Russia
Ukrainian drones have hit Russia’s Kapustin Yar missile testing range, a top-secret military facility used to trial some of Moscow’s most advanced weapons.
The strike was first reported by the specialist military outlet Militarnyi.
“Ukrainian drones attacked the 4th State Central Inter-Service Test Range Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan Region,” the outlet said.
The site lies around 500 miles from Ukraine and close to the border with Kazakhstan, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to penetrate Russian air defences.
Targeting new missiles
According to reports cited by Western and Ukrainian sources, the drones struck an assembly and testing building at the facility.
Kapustin Yar is known for testing ballistic and cruise missiles, air defence systems and S-400 launchers.
The strike comes amid warnings that Russia is preparing to deploy its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile, which Moscow has described as “unstoppable”.
Russian sources claim the weapon can reach speeds of around 8,000 mph.
If used, it would be the second reported deployment of Oreshnik this year, following a strike on Lviv on January 9.
Fears of escalation
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency GUR warned that Russia is preparing a wider pressure campaign, including attacks on energy infrastructure and intimidation of European countries.
“As part of its pressure campaign, Moscow also plans to intensify intimidation of European countries and the West in general,” GUR said, warning of renewed strikes on critical facilities.
The agency accused the Kremlin of pursuing a “genocidal” strategy by targeting electricity transmission substations that support Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
Cold and darkness
The strike comes as Ukraine faces severe winter conditions, with temperatures dropping as low as -17°C in parts of the country.
Russian attacks have already damaged much of Ukraine’s energy system, leaving civilians exposed during freezing weather.
Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces officer Oleksandr Musiienko warned that Russia’s strategic bombers were already armed.
“They may also launch Kalibr missiles,” he said, adding that weather conditions could influence the timing of any strike.
He suggested Moscow may time a new attack to coincide with the Davos summit, in an attempt to intimidate Western leaders.
Civilians hit
Russian strikes overnight killed a 20-year-old woman in Kharkiv and injured three others.
Further attacks wounded civilians in the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Sumy regions, including a seven-year-old boy.
As both sides prepare for the next phase of fighting, the strike on Kapustin Yar highlights Ukraine’s strategy of hitting Russia’s war machine before it can strike back.
Sources: Militarnyi, Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR),
