Ukrainian long-range drone strikes are now reaching Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow, and St Petersburg, taking the fight directly to the aggressor. Lt Col Ray, a Ukrainian commander with the 414th aviation brigade, stated his unit is "making history here," describing the drone war as a contest where "democracy beats totalitarianism." These operations underscore Ukraine's determined effort to reclaim its national territory and assert its sovereignty against a foreign occupation.
A Ukrainian drone, carrying 50-100kg of explosives, recently launched from a field of tall yellow sunflowers, roaring into the mauve sky. Its destination was Crimea, described as a scenic Ukrainian peninsula of beaches and white chalk mountains, stolen by Russia in 2014 and militarised thereafter. This strike, part of the Crimean “switch off” campaign, aimed to disconnect the region from its power and logistics networks.
Reclaiming National Territory
On 21 July, unmanned drones hit 13 electricity nodes, including several in Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces. The first drone reached the holiday resort of Alushta on Crimea’s southern coast, crashing into a 110kV electricity substation, igniting flames and plunging the city into darkness. These actions are a direct response to Russia's nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns, which have intensified since Donald Trump returned to the White House last year.
Ukraine, once reliant on Western assistance, has rapidly developed its own military manufacturing base, becoming the world’s leading unmanned systems power. The drones hurled at Crimea were built in Kyiv by a defence technology startup, with firm representatives participating in operations. This national self-reliance is crucial for defending its borders and securing its future.
Lt Col Ray’s battalion, Kairos, has carried out hundreds of deep strikes against Russia, targeting oil refineries, warehouses, munitions depots, ports, harbours, and army logistics routes. In 2026, Ukrainian drones struck Moscow and St Petersburg, bringing the conflict home to ordinary Russian citizens. Ray believes Russian President Putin is "afraid," noting that the strikes are a "direct consequence of his actions."
Building National Strength
Robert Brovdi, head of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces and founder of the "Magyar’s Birds" brigade, launched a campaign this month to destroy oil tankers and other vessels in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea. More than 200 vessels have been hit, catching Russian boats unawares. The brigade has also been burning warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s equivalent of Amazon, obliterating at least nine of them, which Ukraine states sells military products. These strikes have crippled small businesses and caused billions of roubles in damage, with Brovdi emphasizing the significant "socio-psychological impact on society."
Brovdi stated that Ukrainian long-range drones have "significantly thinned out" Russia’s air defences, destroying the majority of them. Three days prior, air defence units were flattened in the Russian port of Yeysk on the Azov Sea, bringing the total number of systems knocked out to 305. Russia’s enormous size, once a strategic strength, has become a weakness, forcing a "panicked Kremlin" to move air defences from the frontline to protect Moscow.
The Cost of Occupation
Brovdi aims to stop Russia from using Crimea as a "springboard" to fire on Ukraine and to push out the nearly 1 million Russian residents or "colonisers" who settled on the peninsula after Putin’s 2014 takeover. Crimea now faces severe fuel shortages, sometimes preventing Russian military groups from launching drones, alongside frequent power cuts. A brigade member, call sign Schweik, predicted impending food shortages, stating, "The operation is endless. There will be a cascade effect."
Schweik described the situation as "humiliating for Russia," highlighting Crimea's symbolic importance as "Putin’s first trophy and the place where the world order was broken." He added that "everyone in the world understands that Russia is really weak." While about a third of Ukrainian drones are brought down over occupied territory, the strategy of pressuring the Russian economy appears effective. Brovdi affirmed that "troops and resources must be exhausted, so that it becomes impossible for them to continue the war."
Panama, a colleague of Lt Col Ray, described a recent launch as "10 out of 10," noting the shift from foreign drones to domestically produced models. "Now we don’t have problems," he said, underscoring the success of Ukraine's national defence industry. This relentless defence of national borders and infrastructure demonstrates a nation actively fighting for its independence, its people, and its future.