Ukraine Has a Brutal New Strategy: Make Life Impossible for Ordinary Russians

Key Points and Summary – Ukraine has launched a new strategic drone campaign designed to “bring the war home to ordinary Russians” by systematically disrupting daily life, especially in the capital.

-The attacks are causing severe travel disruptions, with flights in and out of Moscow frequently canceled.

-In a drastic and self-defeating countermeasure, Russian authorities are now shutting down mobile internet networks for hours at a time across the country to thwart the drones, which use the networks for navigation.

-The new Ukrainian strategy aims to make the cost of the war impossible for a largely insulated Russian public to ignore.

Ukraine Wants to Take the War to Russia’s Citizens 

Russia has been striking Ukraine with drones frequently, seriously disrupting daily life in Ukrainian cities.

Now, Ukraine is seeking to do the same to Russia.

According to a report on Monday by The Guardian, recent drone attacks by Ukraine have succeeded in disrupting life for Russians, including ruining many Russians’ travel plans.

The Guardian spoke to one family who had saved up for a year to go on a trip, but were unable to take off on time, “as Ukrainian drones repeatedly disrupt airspace over Russia’s capital.”

That’s beginning to become a reality of life in some parts of Russia.

“What began as isolated interruptions have evolved into a systematic Ukrainian campaign, aimed at bringing the war home to ordinary Russians – many of whom have otherwise experienced it only from their television screens,” The Guardian story says.

“Their inconvenience is trivial compared with the daily reality faced by Ukrainian civilians, who live under the constant threat of deadly missile and drone attacks.

But for many Russians, who have largely remained insulated from the direct impacts of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this may be the most tangible sign yet that the conflict has begun to intrude on their everyday lives.”

The Guardian described the July 6-7 dates as “the most severe wave of travel disruption to date.”

A Change in Strategy? 

The Guardian also notes that the drone attacks may represent a long-term change in strategy for Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has long abandoned efforts to persuade ordinary Russians to oppose the war. Instead, Kyiv’s strategy seems focused on making the cost of continued aggression impossible to ignore – not just because of the coffins returning from the frontline, but through growing disruptions to daily life.

“Ukrainian officials have not yet formally commented on the tactic, but they have emphasised repeatedly that life in Russia should not remain comfortable for a population that, by and large, continues to support the war.”

Russia’s Reactions- Shopping Down the Mobile Web

The New York Times reported this week on how Russia is dealing with Ukraine’s drones: By turning off the mobile Internet.

“Russia’s mobile internet networks now have frequent blackouts because of the war with Ukraine,” The Times said. “Since last month, the authorities have shut those networks down every day in various parts of the country, in unpredictable patterns, for hours at a time. The goals is to try to thwart attacks by Ukrainian drones that use mobile connections for navigation.”

In Russia, unlike most of the West, mobile phones are the only way of using the Internet for millions of people, the Times said. And while Russia has a history of restricting Internet freedoms, the recent shutdowns are more a result of war.

“The government regularly touts an array of online services, like filing tax returns and applying for jobs, and President Vladimir V. Putin claimed this year that Russia was ‘a step ahead of many other nations,’” the newspaper said.

“Cellphones use parallel mobile networks, one for calls and another for the data used by phone apps — or drones. The internet blackouts shut down the data network, but calls still go through. Wireless connections, which do not depend on mobile networks, can allow phones to stay online,” the Times said. “Day-to-day orders to shut down the mobile internet come from regional officials responding to reported drone intrusions, rather than from Moscow, according to documents viewed by The New York Times. The Russian communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”

Selling Drones? 

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that Ukraine hopes to sell drones to the U.S. Newsweek characterized it as a potential “mega deal,” in which the U.S. purchases the drones while Ukraine buys other weapons from the United States.

About the Author: Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.

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