Ukraine’s drone war is forcing Russia to defend a much bigger battlefield
Ukraine’s growing drone force is putting new pressure on Russia by forcing the Kremlin to defend a far wider area than the front line.
Ukraine sent hundreds of drones into Russia overnight in what appeared to be one of Kyiv’s largest attacks since the full-scale invasion. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones across Russian regions, occupied Crimea and nearby seas.
The attack came as Ukraine expands its long-range campaign against Russian oil facilities, military production sites and air defense systems, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to strike deep inside Russia, including recent attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The battlefield lesson is also shaping U.S. planning. Straight Arrow reported this week that the Army is preparing new domestic test ranges modeled on Ukraine as it searches for cheaper ways to counter mass-produced drones.
Why it matters
Ukraine’s strategy is shifting more of the war onto Russian territory by targeting infrastructure and fuel supplies and military logistics far from the front.
The Wall Street Journal reported that more than two dozen Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries since March have knocked out about 20% of Russia’s refining capacity, according to analysts. The attacks have strained Russia’s fuel market, pushed up gasoline prices and repeatedly sent plumes of smoke over parts of the country.
Western officials and analysts told The Associated Press the campaign has disrupted fuel supplies and military logistics, adding pressure on Moscow’s war effort — and on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s vast size has also become a defensive challenge. Michael Kofman, a military analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Wall Street Journal that Russian air defenses must now protect both a 1,200-kilometer front line and critical infrastructure spread across the country.
What officials reported
Russia released few details about possible damage, and did not identify the sites Ukraine may have targeted.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones across 12 Russian regions, Russian-held Crimea, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 47 drones were shot down as they approached the Russian capital, the AP reported. He reported no casualties or damage.
The AP also cited Russian independent outlet Astra, which reported that a chemical plant and a hydroelectric plant in Novomoskovsk were attacked and caught fire. The report could not be independently verified and has not been confirmed by Russian officials.
Stretching Russian defenses
Denys Shtylerman, head designer at Ukrainian defense manufacturer Fire Point, told The Wall Street Journal that large drone attacks are designed to overwhelm Russian air defenses.
“We just used a big bunch of drones and they overwhelmed the Russian air-defense systems,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal reported Ukraine is rapidly expanding production of long-range drones and domestically built cruise missiles. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense expects to produce more than 7 million drones this year, up from more than 2.2 million in 2024.
Russia’s claimed interceptions have also risen sharply. The Defense Ministry says it intercepted 8,849 Ukrainian drones in May, compared with 3,676 in January.
Analysts told The Wall Street Journal Moscow likely inflates those figures, but the increase still points to a dramatic rise in Ukrainian drone attacks.
Longer pressure campaign
The AP reported Friday’s barrage came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he had ordered a “40-day influence operation” aimed at “compelling” Russia to end the war.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine hit two oil refineries in Ufa on Thursday, more than 930 miles from the front line. The Wall Street Journal reported Ukraine has also targeted bridges, highways and ferry routes linking Crimea with mainland Russia.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
