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Russia Plans Sustained Jet-Drone Campaign Against Kyiv Ahead of Elections, Budanov Warns
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Russian forces plan to maintain a sustained campaign of jet-powered drone strikes against Kyiv until at least September 18–20, timing the aerial bombardment to coincide with Russia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, told journalist Galyna Ostapovets on September 1.
The assessment aligns with Budanov’s earlier remarks that Russia’s war has hit a “strategic dead end.” He noted that despite ongoing tactical shifts, Moscow cannot achieve its goals through force, and Ukraine will continue operations to compel a peace settlement.
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The escalating aerial campaign is structured to manufacture a domestic political narrative for the Kremlin as Russian voters prepare to head to the polls.
By intensifying strikes against the Ukrainian capital, Russian authorities seek to project a “picture of victory, since they can’t feel victories on the battlefield”, Budanov stated.
Underscoring the scale of this aerial campaign, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously reported that Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones—including 800 jet-powered UAVs—in just four days at the end of August.
While Ukraine currently relies on combat aircraft to counter high-speed drones, four domestic companies are scaling specialized interceptor systems aiming for a 90% interception rate this fall.
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