Ukraine’s bold move: Major kamikaze drone strike on Putin marks heaviest onslaught in months

The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered a new phase of escalation, as Ukraine launched a massive kamikaze drone strike on Moscow, paralyzing the city’s airports and hitting a residential building. This was the heaviest attack by Ukraine in months, and a clear sign of Kyiv’s determination to challenge Putin’s aggression.

The kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are unmanned aerial vehicles that carry explosives and can be remotely guided to a target or programmed to self-destruct on impact. They are relatively cheap and easy to produce, and can evade radar detection and air defenses.

Ukraine has been using kamikaze drones since last year, when it acquired hundreds of them from Turkey and the US. The drones have been instrumental in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia, which invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014 and has been supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine ever since.

On Sunday, November 26, Ukraine unleashed a barrage of kamikaze drones on Moscow, targeting the city’s three main airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky. The attacks caused chaos and panic among passengers and staff, as flights were cancelled or delayed, and terminals were evacuated. The Russian authorities reported that they shot down 11 drones overnight, and nine more in the morning, but some of them managed to hit their targets.

One of the drones struck a residential building in Tula, a city south of Moscow, causing an explosion and injuring three people. The blast also damaged several nearby apartments and cars, and forced the evacuation of the residents. The Russian media described the attack as a “mass terror act” and blamed Ukraine for it.

The drone strike on Moscow was a retaliation for a similar attack by Russia on Kyiv the day before, when Russia launched 75 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones on the Ukrainian capital. The Shahed-136 is a loitering munition that Iran has supplied to Russia since the start of the war. The drones targeted power stations, military bases, and government buildings in Kyiv, but Ukraine claimed that it shot down 71 of them, preventing major damage.

The drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine has intensified in recent months, as both sides have been using them to strike each other’s strategic and civilian targets. The drones have also been used to attack military positions and equipment on the front lines, where the fighting has been raging for more than eight years.

The war has claimed more than 14,000 lives and displaced millions of people. Despite several attempts to negotiate a peaceful solution, the conflict remains unresolved and volatile. The international community has condemned Russia’s aggression and imposed sanctions on it, but has also urged Ukraine to exercise restraint and avoid escalation.

The latest kamikaze drone strike by Ukraine on Moscow was a bold and risky move, as it showed Kyiv’s willingness to confront Putin and bring the war home to Russia.