How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia after largest-ever attack on Moscow

Key Points:

• Ukraine launched a significant drone barrage on Moscow, causing a major explosion at a key Russian oil refinery, marking an escalation in targeting Russia's critical oil infrastructure to weaken its war economy.
• Kyiv has increased the use of medium-range drones (30-180 km behind front lines) to strike Russian air defenses, logistics, and military facilities, disrupting Moscow's battlefield advances and enabling deeper strikes on strategic targets.
• Ukrainian forces have destroyed at least 129 Russian air-defense systems this year and forced the suspension of operations at multiple major Russian oil refineries, significantly impacting Russia’s oil output and supply routes to Europe.
• The development and deployment of mid-range drone strikes have become a systematic part of Ukraine’s military operations, with rapid innovation driven by close coordination between frontline units and domestic manufacturers.
• While these drone strikes alone may not decisively turn the war’s tide, experts note they have slowed Russian advances, stretched Russian logistics, and boosted Ukrainian morale amid ongoing conflict challenges.