Ukraine Plans More Powerful Drone Campaign to Paralyze Russian Airports – The Atlantic

Ukraine is preparing to escalate its campaign to disrupt Russian airports, deploying AI-guided drones capable of evading air defenses and striking aviation infrastructure directly. The operation, codenamed “M&Ms,” was developed under former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and envisioned using small, low-cost drones capable of navigating and identifying targets without human operators, according to two sources familiar with the plan.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The drones would carry detailed maps and images of designated targets, allowing their onboard computers to compare live camera footage with stored data. Once a target was identified, a drone would dive into it and detonate without requiring further confirmation from an operator, the report said. The upcoming operation is expected to be significantly more aggressive, with drones that do not depend on US intelligence and could soon enter mass production, Ukrainian officials told The Atlantic. The Ukrainian official also said a drone prototype had already been used in combat in the Donbas, although development is ongoing. The drones have not yet been deployed against Russian airports. The current campaign has already disrupted air travel across Moscow. Between Oct. 3 and 9, Russian airports canceled 345 flights and delayed nearly 4,000, with some passengers facing waits of 10 hours or more. On Oct. 10, another 692 flights were delayed and 93 canceled. On Oct. 14, 238 flights were delayed and 124 canceled. Moscow’s airport network was shut down for an average of around three hours daily, according to the report. Other Topics of Interest Trump Calls Ukraine’s Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries a ‘Disgrace,’ Says Zelensky Harder to Deal With Than Putin The US president criticized Kyiv’s renewed attacks on Russian oil facilities despite Moscow’s continued strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plane was reportedly unable to land in Moscow on Oct. 9 while returning from Turkmenistan, as two of the capital’s four airports were closed for seven hours during a drone attack. Prolonged airport shutdowns could force international carriers, including Turkish Airlines and Emirates, to reconsider flights to the Russian capital, disrupting a key connection between Russia’s political elite and the outside world. The plan was reportedly presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early 2026. Although he raised concerns about risks to civilian aircraft, passengers and airport workers, he allowed preparations to continue, according to The Atlantic’s earlier report. Trump’s energy ceasefire fails to stop Russian attacks The planned escalation comes amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Last week, on Oct. 9, Trump announced an agreement for Russia to supply diesel to US and global markets, drawing criticism from US lawmakers and European allies. Zelensky described the deal as a “simple victory” for the Kremlin in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan on Wednesday. “It’s a pity that we are losing a strong partner,” Zelensky said. He also accused Trump of taking Russia’s side in the war, arguing that Washington should remain neutral rather than favor Moscow. “This is our country, our body, our home, our children,” Zelensky said. “That’s why it’s painful when Trump chooses one side.” Trump called for a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure and announced what he called a mutual energy ceasefire. However, Russia continued striking Ukrainian cities and energy facilities, with missile and drone attacks leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. Ukraine had temporarily suspended strikes on Russian refineries at Washington’s request. Kyiv argued that any energy truce must apply to both sides, rather than restrict Ukraine’s ability to retaliate while Moscow continues attacking its power grid. On Oct. 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times that Kyiv would no longer observe the pause in refinery strikes. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelensky said. Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast early on Oct. 15, triggering a fire at the facility about 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Moscow. Later that day, Trump called Ukraine’s decision to resume refinery strikes a “disgrace,” accusing Kyiv of driving up global energy prices in an interview with Newsmax. “Well, I think that’s a disgrace,” Trump said when asked about the renewed attacks. Energy analysts, however, say Trump’s deal to resume Russian diesel exports is unlikely to significantly lower fuel prices. The main driver of the global price surge has been the US-Israel war with Iran, which has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also portrayed Zelensky as a greater obstacle to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine than Putin. “It should end soon. I think they actually both would like to see it end,” Trump said. “But I think I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal with than Putin.” Zelensky met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Oct. 15 and held talks with European leaders ahead of the EU summit, seeking continued military and political support for Ukraine. “Don’t attack us. Don’t kill our children. We will stop attacking your diesel,” Zelensky said in an Oct. 11 interview with ABC News, outlining Kyiv’s position on a reciprocal energy ceasefire. Kyiv prepares to escalate airport campaign Trump, however, has not publicly objected to Ukrainian attacks on Russian airports or data centers, which Ukrainian forces targeted last week, The Atlantic reported. When Trump first called Zelensky last month, he reportedly suggested that Kyiv could strike targets other than oil refineries. “There are many other targets,” Trump said. According to The Atlantic, Trump is becoming less interested in mediating between Moscow and Kyiv and increasingly appears to be pursuing a deal on the Kremlin’s behalf.