Ukraine has significantly escalated its long-range drone campaign against Russian targets, according to rare access granted to Al Jazeera at one of the country’s drone units. The unmanned aircraft, capable of traveling at speeds around 160 kilometers per hour and reaching altitudes thousands of meters high, are being launched in unprecedented numbers. Ukrainian forces now conduct strikes at distances exceeding 2,500 kilometers, targeting major Russian cities including Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as infrastructure across the Ural Mountains and into Siberia.
The scope of Ukraine’s drone operations has expanded dramatically since March, when the country began mass-producing its own unmanned strike vehicles. This domestic manufacturing capability has allowed Ukrainian commanders to bypass previous restrictions from Western allies hesitant about deep strikes into Russian territory. Officials in Kyiv have coined the term “long-range sanctions” to describe the campaign, arguing that drone attacks accomplish what international economic sanctions have not by directly damaging Russia’s critical energy sector and other infrastructure vital to government revenues.
Beyond energy facilities, Ukrainian drones now target commercial enterprises, including Russia’s largest online marketplace, which officials claim sells military-related components to the Russian Ministry of Defence. According to a presidential adviser, the strikes pursue three strategic objectives: instilling fear among the Russian population, inflicting economic losses, and making civilians feel the consequences of war. For the drone crews conducting these operations, maintaining operational security remains paramount, as they must launch and relocate quickly to avoid detection by Russian reconnaissance aircraft.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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