A symbolic strike on Moscow’s Red Square would make headlines around the world, Brovdi acknowledged. But, he said, it is more beneficial for Ukraine to “slap” targets where Russian air defenses are weaker.
“Why waste drones on the ‘Great Wall’?” the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said, referring to the extensive security measures introduced ahead of the military parade in Moscow. He added: “If you strike the energy sector or military facilities, that’s the best kind of strike — on the periphery.”
Robert Brovdi recalled that in April, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian oil terminal in Tuapse four times within two weeks.
“Practically everything there burned down,” he said.
The strikes were not limited to the Black Sea port of Tuapse. Drones also targeted the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, as well as oil facilities in Perm and Chelyabinsk, more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine’s border.
Ukraine’s path to victory lies in undermining the Russian economy so Moscow lacks the resources to finance the war, Brovdi said.
The Guardian noted that the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces is deeply focused on statistics and has kept records of every drone flight since the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.