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Ukraine has reportedly been using long-range drones in recent weeks to disrupt air traffic around Russian airports. A more aggressive plan involving AI-guided drones has not been approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to The Atlantic; the report says production of those drones may begin soon.
Ukraine has been trying in recent weeks to disrupt air traffic around Russian airports with long-range drones, but President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to approve a more aggressive version of the campaign that would use AI-guided drones, The Atlantic reported. The account, based on sources cited by journalist Simon Shuster, describes an operation that could widen pressure on Russian aviation, though the proposed tactics and their status remain partly unconfirmed.
The campaign, code-named M&M’s, is aimed at disrupting airport operations in Russia. Sources told The Atlantic that the effort is “only just getting started.” Shuster first reported on the plan in late August. The newer account says Ukraine has recently sought to affect air traffic near Russian airports using long-range drones, while Zelensky has not approved the original, more expansive plan.
That larger proposal would involve AI-guided drones designed to evade Russian air defenses. One source told The Atlantic that mass production of the drones is expected to begin soon. The report does not establish that production has started, or that Zelensky has authorized their use. These details come from sources cited by The Atlantic and have not been independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Separately, Moscow’s airports have experienced more frequent suspensions this month. Agentstvo’s calculations, as reported by Meduza, found that the city’s four airports were closed for a combined 101 hours during October 1–14, compared with 46 hours over all of September. On the night leading into October 14, all four were closed for seven consecutive hours, described in the report as a record. The figures show an increase in closure time, but do not by themselves establish what caused each suspension.
Disruptions Reach Moscow Airports
Airport closures can interrupt passenger journeys and airline schedules, while repeated suspensions can complicate travel planning across a major Russian transport hub. The reported increase in closure time gives a measure of the disruption, but the available figures do not link every closure to Ukrainian drones or establish the scale of any operational damage.
The unresolved approval question matters because the reported distinction is between current long-range drone activity and a larger operation using AI-guided systems. If authorized and deployed, that proposal could represent an expansion of the campaign’s methods. For now, the report does not confirm that the expanded plan is active.
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A Plan Delayed After July
The Atlantic reported in August that Mykhailo Fedorov, then Ukraine’s defense minister, had actively promoted the original plan. Work was reportedly suspended after Fedorov’s dismissal in July. The supplied report does not explain whether that pause was formal, whether the plan changed afterward, or what role Fedorov’s departure played in Zelensky’s current position.
On September 1, Zelensky said Russia’s skies were “becoming extremely dangerous,” adding that “there will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account.” Those remarks signaled a warning about drone activity, but they do not amount to confirmation that he approved the specific M&M’s plan or its proposed AI-guided component.
“Ukraine’s campaign to paralyze airport operations in Russia is “only just getting started.””
— Sources cited by Simon Shuster in The Atlantic
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Approval and Drone Links Unclear
The report does not say when Zelensky might decide on the expanded plan, what conditions he would require for approval, or whether the proposal has been revised since it was first drawn up. It also does not identify the specific drones used in recent attempts to disrupt air traffic or provide evidence connecting particular airport closures to those operations.
The expected start of mass production is attributed to one unnamed source, and no production figures, deployment dates, target details, or official Ukrainian confirmation are provided. The causes of the October airport suspensions are not broken down in the figures cited. It remains unclear how much disruption can be attributed to drone activity, and whether the reported campaign has caused lasting damage.
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Watch for Approval and Closures
The next key development would be a decision from Zelensky on the broader plan, or an official statement clarifying whether the AI-guided drones are being produced or deployed. Further reporting may also establish whether the campaign’s scope has changed since the plan was first reported in August.
Airport closure data in the coming weeks could indicate whether disruptions persist, but closure totals alone would not establish their cause. Any clearer account will depend on attributable statements, verifiable operational details, and reporting that distinguishes confirmed activity from claims by unnamed sources.
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Key Questions
Has Zelensky approved the more aggressive drone plan?
No. The Atlantic report says Zelensky has yet to approve the original, more aggressive plan. The supplied material does not include an official Ukrainian confirmation.
What would the expanded plan involve?
According to The Atlantic, it would use AI-guided drones designed to evade Russian air defenses. The report does not confirm that the drones have been deployed.
How long were Moscow’s airports closed in early October?
Agentstvo’s calculations, reported by Meduza, put the combined closure time for Moscow’s four airports at 101 hours from October 1 through October 14. The report says all four were closed for seven consecutive hours on the night leading into October 14.
Were the airport suspensions caused by Ukrainian drones?
The reported figures do not identify the cause of each closure. The available account says Ukraine has tried to disrupt air traffic with long-range drones, but it does not establish that those efforts caused every suspension.
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