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Ukraine has recently sought to disrupt air traffic around Russian airports with long-range drones, according to sources cited by The Atlantic. A more aggressive plan using AI-guided drones to evade Russian air defenses has not been approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the reported timeline and scope remain unclear.
Ukraine has been trying in recent weeks to disrupt air traffic around Russian airports using long-range drones, while President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to approve a more aggressive plan involving AI-guided drones, The Atlantic reported. The reported proposal could expand pressure on Russian aviation, but its status, scale and timing remain uncertain.
The Atlantic’s Simon Shuster reported that sources described Ukraine’s campaign to paralyze airport operations in Russia as “only just getting started.” The sources said the country has recently sought to interfere with air traffic around Russian airports using long-range drones. The report does not specify which airports or operations have been targeted, or provide independently verified details about the effects of the alleged efforts.
The broader plan, code-named M&M’s, would use larger numbers of AI-guided drones designed to evade Russian air defenses, according to The Atlantic. One source told the publication that mass production of the drones is expected to begin soon. That expected production is not confirmation that production has started, or that the plan has been authorized.
The report says Zelensky has not approved the original, more aggressive proposal. The plan was pushed by Mykhailo Fedorov, who was defense minister when it was drawn up, according to The Atlantic’s August reporting. Work on it was reportedly suspended after Fedorov’s dismissal in July. The current efforts with long-range drones and the unapproved proposal should not be treated as the same operation.
Pressure on Russian Airport Operations
The reports point to a possible effort to impose costs on Russian aviation without confirming that the proposed expanded campaign will go ahead. Airport closures can interrupt flights and affect passengers, airlines and airport operations, but the available information does not establish how much of the October disruption was caused by Ukrainian drones or whether any particular closure resulted from the reported campaign.
The distinction between reported current activity and a plan awaiting presidential approval matters for judging how far Ukraine may escalate. If the larger plan moves forward, its use of AI-guided drones would signal a change in the reported tactics. For now, that remains a possibility described by sources, not an announced Ukrainian policy.
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From August Plan to October Closures
Shuster first reported on the M&M’s proposal in late August. On September 1, Zelensky said Russia’s skies were “becoming extremely dangerous,” adding that “there will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account.” His public remarks referred to the broader presence of drones; they did not, in the material provided, confirm approval of the specific airport plan.
Russian airport disruptions have also increased in October, according to figures cited by Meduza. Agentstvo calculated that Moscow’s four airports were closed for a combined 101 hours during October 1–14, compared with 46 hours across all of September. Overnight into October 14, all four airports were closed for seven consecutive hours, described in the report as a record. These figures document closures, but do not by themselves establish their causes or link them to the reported Ukrainian operation.
“Ukraine’s campaign to paralyze airport operations in Russia is “only just getting started.””
— Sources cited by The Atlantic’s Simon Shuster
Approval, Targets and Causes Remain Unclear
The report does not say when Zelensky might decide on the expanded plan, whether he will approve it, or what limits might apply. It also does not provide a production start date, the number of drones involved, or details about their capabilities beyond the claim that they are designed to evade Russian air defenses.
It is also unclear which specific airport incidents are connected to Ukraine’s reported efforts. The cited closure totals show how long Moscow’s airports were shut, but no causal breakdown is provided. The accounts of the campaign and the proposed technology are attributed to The Atlantic’s sources; the supplied material contains no public confirmation from Zelensky or Ukrainian officials that the larger operation has been authorized.
A Decision on the Expanded Plan
The next significant development would be a decision by Zelensky on whether to approve the more aggressive proposal, followed by any confirmed details about production or deployment. The report gives no date for such a decision. Further reporting may clarify whether manufacturing begins as the source expects and whether the reported long-range drone activity continues.
Until then, readers should distinguish reported airport disruptions from confirmed responsibility for individual closures, and distinguish the ongoing efforts described by sources from the proposed AI-guided expansion. Any official confirmation, operational details or updated airport data could change the picture.
Key Questions
Has Zelensky approved the AI-guided drone plan?
No. The Atlantic reports that Zelensky has yet to approve the more aggressive proposal.
What does the reported plan involve?
According to The Atlantic, it would use larger numbers of AI-guided drones designed to evade Russian air defenses. The report does not give a deployment date or operational details.
Are the Moscow airport closures confirmed to be caused by Ukrainian drones?
The supplied report does not establish that connection. Agentstvo’s figures, as cited by Meduza, count closure hours but do not identify their causes.
How long were Moscow’s airports closed in early October?
Agentstvo calculated that Moscow’s four airports were closed for a combined 101 hours from October 1 through 14, 2026. The report compares that with 46 hours across all of September.
When could mass production begin?
An unnamed source told The Atlantic that mass production is expected to begin soon. No specific date was reported, and the statement does not confirm that production has started.
Source: rss
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