Ukraine’s drones take the war to Russia

(Dave Lawler – Axios) Ukraine’s sustained and sophisticated drone warfare has knocked out refineries, tilted the battlefield balance and brought the war home to some Russians for the first time in four years of fighting. With Ukrainian confidence running high, and Russia struggling to provide fuel to its cities and supplies to its troops, President Volodymyr Zelensky says he’s launching a “40-day influence operation” to force Moscow to sign a peace deal. Hours after Zelensky’s announcement on Thursday came one of the largest drone attacks of the war, targeting 12 regions of Russia as well as occupied Crimea. Russian authorities said at least 660 Ukrainian drones were intercepted. Explosions were reported at a chemical plant in the Tula region. That came a week after a massive explosion at Moscow’s largest refinery, which filled the sky with black smoke. Residents reportedly took shelter in basements and emerged to “black rain” in parts of the city. The refinery is likely to remain offline until 2027, sources told Reuters. At least three more Russian refineries were hit this week, among other targets. Zelensky’s announcement of a 40-day operation suggests there’s much more to come. – Ukraine’s drones take the war to Russia