Information
Russian authorities temporarily shut down a dozen airports, including those in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, and Volgograd, after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks for a second consecutive night. Moscow officials reported that 19 drones were intercepted over the capital, with no casualties or damage, while similar incidents occurred in regions like Kursk, Voronezh, and Penza. While Ukraine has not officially commented, the attacks appear to be part of an intensified campaign targeting infrastructure deemed critical to Russia’s war efforts, reminding Russian citizens that the conflict remains active and close to home.
The drone strikes come just ahead of Russia’s May 9 military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, where President Vladimir Putin is expected to speak. Putin recently declared a limited ceasefire from May 8 to 10 for the occasion, which was criticised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy dismissed the ceasefire as hypocritical, citing ongoing Russian attacks and instead advocated for a broader, 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by the United States, an offer the Kremlin has refused.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So What
It seems likely that Ukraine is attempting to harass Russian air defence in the lead up to their May 9 parade. Though it is possible that this plan is to try to eliminate Russian air defence ammo, this does seem like a long shot. More likely is Ukraine using the reallocation of air defence to Moscow as an opportunity to strike now undefended targets such as factories and other key locations. This could possibly lead to Russia having to move its assets again to defend critical factories, making the Moscow parade vulnerable. Lastly, it just makes Russia look a bit average at a critical time.
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