Ukraine Launches Large Drone Attack Against Moscow

What Happened?

Last night Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack against Moscow, causing several explosions near the Russian capitol. Moscow’s mayor issued a statement saying at least fifty incoming attack drones were shot down by Russian air defenses. According to the Russian Telegram channel Mash, ‘In just five minutes, at least five explosions were heard in the sky.’

Ukrainian authorities said they had launched drone attacks against several other regions of Russia on the same night as the Moscow attacks, including Belgorod, Kursk, and Rostov. As of Thursday morning, no casualties had been reported by Russian authorities.

Why it Matters

The continued use of large-scale drone attacks indicates Ukraine has both the will and the resources to continue the war against Russia. Drones have become the weapon of choice for Ukrainian forces, with tactical drones being used against Russian troops in close proximity to Ukrainian units and larger drones being sent into Russia for long-distance strikes.

Ukraine has become skilled not only at using drones in combat, but also at manufacturing them at home. The ability to assemble or manufacture custom and mass-produced drones has given Ukraine the ability to punch above its weight in terms of military capabilities. Rather than waiting for new weapons systems to be sent to Ukraine from the U.S. or Europe, Ukraine has developed an internal production system capable of turning out hundreds, if not thousands, of drones per month for use in the war against Russia.

Russia has also relied extensively on drones to conduct military operations, and Russian forces have evolved a significant anti-drone capability. The ability of Russians forces to intercept or shoot down Ukrainian drones has improved markedly since the war began. Despite a growing anti-drone capability, the sheer numbers of drones used by Ukraine has made them the number one killer of Russian troops in the field. 

Drones can be assembled or built in ordinary office buildings or even residential homes, and they can be controlled from those places as well. The diffusion of drone production and control makes them difficult to target because production facilities are easy to replace and operations can be quickly moved from one place to another whenever the need arises. 

While yesterday’s drone attack on Moscow did not cause significant physical damage to the Russian capitol, it did serve a psychological purpose of letting the Russian people know they are not immune from retaliation by Ukraine. For much of Russia the war can seem like a distant rumor but strikes like these serve as reminders that it’s real.

How it Affects You

The evolution of combat drones in the Russia-Ukrainian war will have repercussions beyond Asia. Lessons from this war and how drones have been used in it are likely to be adopted by militaries around the world in the coming years.