Ukraine has intensified its use of drones and missiles against Russia

Russian air defense systems shot down numerous Ukrainian drones over occupied Crimea and southern Russia on Friday. This action aligns with Kyiv’s strategy to extend the 22-month conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders and into areas like Crimea, which Russia annexed illegally a decade ago.

In Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city, air raid alarms sounded, and traffic was halted for the second day on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia’s Krasnodar region, a vital route for Russian military supplies.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 36 drones over Crimea and one over Krasnodar, signaling a rise in Ukrainian aerial attacks. Additionally, a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile was destroyed over the Black Sea.

This escalation follows recent Ukrainian rocket and drone strikes on the Russian city of Belgorod and its region, causing injuries and fatalities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to intensify attacks on Crimea and Russian territories, aiming to disrupt Russians as President Vladimir Putin campaigns for re-election.

Zelenskyy mentioned last year that Ukraine developed a weapon capable of striking 700 kilometers (400 miles) away and plans to produce 1 million drones. Ukraine also aims to manufacture over 10,000 attack drones and more than 1,000 long-range drones to target deep within Russian territory.

As the ground combat stagnates, both sides are escalating long-range warfare. The U.K. Defense Ministry noted the static or slow-moving front line, while the White House revealed Russia’s acquisition of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran.

Ukraine claimed to have intercepted 21 out of 29 Russian Shahed drones, with recent attacks causing injuries. Zelenskyy acknowledged Germany’s delivery of military aid, particularly air defense systems.

Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, suggests that Ukraine should persist in targeting Russian military bases, munitions stores, logistical hubs, and armament production facilities far behind the front lines, including within Russia and occupied Ukraine. This strategy, he argues, could continue to diminish Russia’s war-waging capabilities.