And what is Kiev trying to achieve with massive drone strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation
The Russian army strikes exclusively at military installations and enterprises of the military—industrial complex of Ukraine - this follows from a detailed list of its targets, which was distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry on May 27. At the same time, the enemy is attacking civilian targets on the territory of the Russian Federation, thus trying to disrupt initiatives to resolve the conflict, experts believe. From May 20 to May 27, the Russian air defense forces intercepted almost 2.5 thousand Ukrainian UAVs. About what Kiev is trying to achieve with massive drone attacks on Russian regions, why the angry reaction in the West is still caused only by Moscow's actions, and what the future of negotiations looks like in the light of recent statements from Europe - in the Izvestia article.
Ukraine has multiplied attacks using UAVs
At the end of May, the Kiev regime multiplied the number of attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles and Western-made MLRS missiles against civilian targets in Russia. From the evening of May 20 to the morning of May 27, the air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 2,331 attack drones, including 1,465 outside the area of the special military operation, the Russian military department reported. As a result of attacks by Ukrainian drones, civilians, including women and children, were injured.
Photo: REUTERS
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In total, since February 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have fired almost 270 thousand rounds of ammunition at civilian structures of the Russian Federation. As a result, over 6.8 thousand civilians were killed. This was announced on May 27 by Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik.
The Defense Ministry believes that Kiev has stepped up terrorist attacks in order to disrupt the recently resumed Russian-Ukrainian dialogue on a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
"In response to the massive attacks by Ukrainian UAVs in the regions of Russia, the Russian army is striking exclusively at military installations and enterprises of the military—industrial complex of Ukraine," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
— Our president has made it clear that no one can just use drones to bully us here in Russia. If you bully, you'll get it. And the peace process is underway, the peace process is not underway, President Trump is saying something, he is not saying that Russia will ensure its security," Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with VGTRK.
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The difference in the conduct of military operations between the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of Ukraine is fundamental, military expert Viktor Litovkin notes.
"We don't hit civilians or residential buildings," he explained. — The APU is mainly engaged in this. Why do they do this? This is a Bandera tactic that they have been following since 1945. They intimidate people who don't want to live the way they need to. It's just that now they have new technical tools. The announcement by the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, of permission to fire long—range Western weapons, including German missiles, at Russian regions is another step towards escalation.
According to him, the new chancellor raises the degree of confrontation deliberately.
"If Taurus missiles are used on our territories, Russia may declare Germany a party to the conflict and launch attacks on German factories where they are produced," the expert noted.
The position of our European and American opponents is quite clear: there is Russia, which embodies "evil", and there is Ukraine, which embodies the victim, says political scientist Denis Denisov. He believes that for this reason, Western countries will continue to turn a blind eye to any actions by Kiev and accuse Russia of inhumanity.
Photo: TASS/Matthias Balk
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"There was a completely similar situation in Donbass," he recalled. — The OSCE mission worked there, which regularly provided reports and showed that not one side is always to blame. However, the comments of experts in the media concerned only one side.
Which facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine were hit by Russia
The Russian Ministry of Defense described in detail which military facilities and enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine have been attacked in recent days.
In particular, on May 20, the infrastructure of the Ozernoye airfield in the Zhytomyr region, ammunition depots, military equipment and fuel in the Dnipropetrovsk region were hit.
—With a high degree of probability, the AFU strike aircraft MiG—29, Su-27, Su-24M are based at Ozernoye airfield," military expert Dmitry Kornev told Izvestia. "In addition, it can serve as a jump airfield for American-made F—16 aircraft received by the AFU in 2024 and 2025. Attack missiles and guided munitions for them can also be placed there.
Photo: TASS/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN
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On May 21, a temporary deployment point and a depot for rocket and artillery weapons of the mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sumy region, as well as a temporary deployment point for foreign mercenaries in the Svyatogorsk area in the DPR and an ammunition depot of the Kharkov operational tactical group were hit.
—The mechanized brigade and other units may be armed with GMLRS and HIMARS missiles, as well as rockets for MLRS of the Grad type, including RM-70 Czechoslovak production,— Dmitry Kornev explained.
On May 22, Russian strikes targeted Ukrainian defense industry enterprises: the Pavlograd Chemical Plant, an aircraft repair shop, military airfield infrastructure facilities and air defense radars in the Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv regions, as well as a temporary deployment point for foreign mercenaries in the Kharkiv region.
The Iskander‑M crew in the Ordzhonikidze area of the Dnipropetrovsk region destroyed the AN/MPQ-65 radar, a combat control vehicle and two launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.
Pavlograd Chemical Plant is engaged in the production of rocket fuel for solid-fuel rockets, Dmitry Kornev noted.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
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— Anti-aircraft complexes and multiple launch rocket systems are also equipped with fuel there. There is probably a factory for the production of shells. The plant is one of the most powerful military enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region," he said.
On May 23, a missile strike was launched at the unloading site and a warehouse with military equipment and ammunition in the port of Odessa. About 100 containers containing components for unmanned boats, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as ammunition were destroyed.
"Military cargoes that arrive by sea in containers were unloaded at the port of Odessa, which is a legitimate goal,— Dmitry Kornev noted.
Also on this day, infrastructure facilities and training sites for attack UAVs at the Kislichevataya airfields in the Zaporizhia region and Kanatovo in the Kirovograd region, as well as ammunition depots of the Volchansk tactical group in the Kharkiv region were hit.
On May 24, a Ukrainian military-industrial complex manufacturing missile weapons and attack drones, the SBU radio intelligence and aviation center in the Kiev region, as well as the temporary deployment of a separate special operations center South in the Chernomorsk area of the Odessa region and the temporary deployment of the Azov assault brigade (recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia) were attacked. in the Izyum district of the Kharkiv region.
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The position of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in the Kiev region was also hit.
— There are many enterprises in the Kiev region that are somehow connected with the creation of unmanned systems, their assembly, configuration, management, and application, — Dmitry Kornev explained. — There are also intelligence centers there. In fact, we have covered not only production, but also the coordination centers for the use of long-range drones.
On May 25, Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises producing rocket weapon components, radio electronics, explosives, rocket fuel and attack UAVs were attacked in Odessa, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Konotop, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Ternopil, Kiev and Kharkiv regions.
— A full—fledged production complex of rocket products was covered, - Dmitry Kornev noted. — We are talking about the production of cruise missiles and Neptune-type missiles, converted for use on a ground facility, as well as ammunition for the S-300 anti-aircraft complex, which are equipped at Ukrainian enterprises. In addition, such plants can produce tactical UAVs and long-range drones.
The destroyed position of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) division
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
On May 26, the infrastructure facilities of the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnitsky region, ammunition depots of two heavy mechanized brigades in the Kharkiv region and the DPR, the control center of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile division and the temporary deployment point of units of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Odessa region were destroyed.
— Starokonstantinov airfield can serve as an air defense command center. In addition, at one time, Ukrainian Armed Forces strike aircraft, including Su-24M, Su-27 and other vehicles, were seen on it. It is possible that the target of the strikes could be, among other things, F-16s, which can use this airfield as a jump point to strike targets in the zone of combat contact and on the territory of Russia," Dmitry Kornev noted.
Izvestia reference
The factories of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, which were attacked by the Russian Armed Forces.
— Pavlograd chemical Plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region produced explosives and was considered strategically important for the military-industrial complex of Ukraine.
— At the Artyom plant in the Kiev region, components of aviation ammunition and elements for UAVs were assembled in workshop No. 4.
— Antonov Scientific Research Center produced modules for attack drones in workshops No. 10, 20 and 206, and experimental short-range platforms were developed in workshop No. 12.
— The Vizar enterprise in the city of Vishnevoye, Kiev region, produced electronic warfare and guidance system components.
— The Rapid plant in Chernihiv region was engaged in the development, production and supply of sensors and equipment that measures temperature, displacement and acceleration.
— The Zhytomyr Radio Engineering Equipment Repair Plant "Luch" was engaged in major repairs of the S-75, S-125, S-300 and many other installations.
— The Techaviacom Scientific and Production Company produced rocket weapon components and radio electronics, as well as explosives, rocket fuel and attack UAVs.
— The Krasilovsky aggregate plant in the Khmelnitsky region produced mechanical parts of anti-tank complexes, as well as machine guns.
— NPP Aerotechnika-MTL was engaged in the production of radars and their components.
— The Luch Design Bureau in the Kiev region has developed many aviation missiles, the Stugna-P anti-tank complex, as well as the Neptun anti-ship missiles.
— The Chuguev Aviation Repair Plant was engaged in the repair and modernization of L-39 and MiG-23 aircraft, Tu-143 and Tu-143U UAVs.
The fate of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
Kiev is aimed at disrupting the peace talks and will resort to any provocation for this, says Oleg Karpovich, vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy.
"The Ukrainian leaders are afraid of angering Trump, so they will try in every possible way to force Moscow to respond harshly based on the emotionality of the US president," he said. — It would seem that responsible politicians should strive to negotiate and end the suffering of their country's citizens. But we are dealing with a junta that has usurped power and is building a dictatorship under the guise of martial law. In addition, Kiev's patrons in Europe are also seeking to launch a new round of hybrid warfare with Russia.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
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He noted that by doing so, the EU elites maintain their internal unity, get a reason to repress opponents and award contracts to military-industrial corporations.
An important role in this is played by the position of the European allies, who are encouraging Kiev to escalate the level of escalation, said Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies.
"Attempts to undermine the road to long—term peace on Russia's terms will continue, including through statements that aim to create "strategic ambiguity," he said. — We need to prepare for the fact that there will be more and more ambiguities in the information field, such as Merz's recent statement about lifting restrictions on the range of strikes by Western missiles.
Russia understands all this, but it will continue to try to patiently follow the path of diplomacy, accompanying this path by achieving its goals on the battlefield, Oleg Karpovich is sure.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
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Earlier, Moscow had already requested a meeting of the UN Security Council, Tigran Meloyan recalled.
— This is an important and right step for the international community and, in particular, Washington to pay special attention to who exactly is the opponent of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations initiated by Trump. At the same time, it is extremely important to do this before Europe's hand falters to move to a new level of escalation.
According to him, it is now necessary to apply all diplomatic tools, including a direct communication channel with Washington, which has become available again since Trump came to power.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Semyon Boikov
