According to the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory are a calculated signal to Moscow. Political scientist Gustav Gressel explains that the attacks are meant to demonstrate Kyiv’s ability to escalate the war and impose costs on Russia. The strikes aim to weaken the Russian economy by targeting energy infrastructure and disrupt military production.
Symbolism and strategy
The images from Moscow in recent days speak a clear language, Gressel says: Ukrainian drone strikes on targets in the Russian capital have brought the war to the heart of state power and exposed the limits of Russian air defenses. The Kremlin’s narrative of a controlled “special military operation” has been significantly undermined. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls the strikes an “absolutely fair response.”
Gressel, however, does not assess the strikes as a turning point in the war. He emphasizes that they primarily serve strategic objectives rather than signaling a military shift. The attacks were a message to Moscow — and that was their purpose. Before May 9, Russia issued strong threats that any disruption of its Victory Day parade would have consequences, even warning it could destroy Kyiv. Kyiv’s message now is: “We can do this too, and you cannot.”
Background of the escalation
After a ceasefire and a small prisoner exchange, Russia resumed its attacks on Ukraine. From the Ukrainian perspective, there is concern that Russia is pursuing a strategy of sustained terror to wear the country down. Kyiv knows that defending against such attacks will become more difficult over time. Hence the signal of the drone strikes: “Mass attacks on us will not go unpunished; we can do this too.”
Source: www.kyivpost.com
