Inside Ukraine's Secret Drone Campaign Destroying Sites Deep in Russia

Key Points:

• Ukraine's military intelligence service GUR is conducting a large-scale campaign using Liutyi long-range kamikaze drones capable of traveling nearly 1,300 miles and carrying up to 150 pounds of explosives to strike deep inside Russian territory.
• Since early 2024, Ukraine has increased drone launches to 200-300 per night, targeting military installations and oil refineries, including a recent major attack near Moscow that disrupted flights and caused significant damage.
• The drone strikes have begun to create tangible economic disruptions in Russia, notably reducing oil production and refinery operations, which contributes to logistical challenges and pressures on Russia's war effort.
• Ukraine employs a sophisticated, AI-assisted operational system called Prisma to plan and adapt drone flight routes in real time, using decoy and missile drones to overwhelm and confuse Russian air defenses.
• Despite Russia's vast territory once considered a strategic advantage, experts argue this scale now makes it difficult for Russia to defend key infrastructure against Ukraine's precise and persistent long-range drone strikes.