Ukraine to Launch More Long-Range Drones Than Russia in 2026, Targeting Moscow

On January 4, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that air defense forces shot down at least 28 Ukrainian drones as they approached the city.

According to The Moscow Times, the attacks led to the temporary closure of Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports, with more than 200 flights delayed.

This was the second consecutive day of large-scale drone attacks on Moscow. A day earlier, Sobyanin reported that 21 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted, while the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said a total of 29 drones were shot down overnight on January 4.

According to Reuters, within a single day – up to midnight on Sunday – 57 drones were destroyed over the Moscow region out of a total of 437 shot down across Russia. This points to a shift in tactics, from sporadic strikes to sustained, systematic pressure.

Moscow’s airports and other transport hubs are being forced to suspend operations regularly to ensure flight safety. This is causing significant disruption for passengers during the New Year and Christmas holidays, a period that traditionally sees the highest travel volumes.

According to estimates by Russian state media, air defense forces intercepted more than 1,500 Ukrainian drones over Russia and Crimea in the past week alone.

As noted by the Polkovnyk GSh Telegram channel, for many consecutive days Ukraine has been launching more long-range UAVs than Russia. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 468 drones over the same period. This trend indicates a growing intensity of Ukrainian strikes.