Overnight March 10-11, Ukraine conducted its largest unmanned aerial system strikes against russia in the war so far. The strikes targeted several russian regions including Moscow and locations in the vicinity, with the Defense Ministry of Defense of russia claiming 337 UAS had been intercepted and destroyed, including 91 over Moscow region, according to the UK Defense Intelligence.
Fires have been reported in Moscow as well as temporary halt in operations at all four Moscow airports, and the suspension of the railway connection between Moscow and Domodedovo.
Ukrainian strikes are the latest in a pattern of increased regularity of Ukrainian UAS strikes deep into russian territory, emphasising the challenge confronting russia to protect its infrastructure and strategic assets balanced against protecting its operations at the front line.
Vladimir Putin and russian senior leadership almost certainly consider Ukraine’s ability to both target and cause disruption within Moscow to be a significant embarrassment. It also undermines russian leadership’s narrative of the conflict as localized operation as opposed to war.
Russian state-controlled media reporting of the strikes has been minimal which likely reflects unease by russian leadership regarding any potential adverse reaction from the population.