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Ukraine War Escalates: Russia Faces Largest Drone Attack as Putin's Strategy Shifts
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Firstpost•21-09-2026, 16:16
Ukraine War Escalates: Russia Faces Largest Drone Attack as Putin's Strategy Shifts
- •Ukraine reportedly launched over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds at Moscow, coinciding with Russian parliamentary elections, marking the largest drone assault on the capital.
- •The escalation signals a dangerous new phase in the Ukraine war, potentially a watershed moment in the conflict's intensity and scale.
- •Western assumptions about Putin's weakening position or a more accommodating post-Putin Russia may be grave miscalculations, as experts suggest a hardliner successor is likely.
- •Political scientist John Mearsheimer, after a visit to Russia, reported the Russian economy is in good shape and saw no evidence of an uprising against Putin, noting the elite desires more vigorous war efforts.
- •Putin's 'judoka' approach, seizing opportunities rather than following rigid strategies, and Russia's historical view of Ukraine as intertwined with its identity, make compromise difficult and escalation likely.
Key Questions Answered
Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia on Sunday, coinciding with the final day of the country's parliamentary elections, with reports noting over 1,600 total drones intercepted.
The large-scale drone assault damaged a facility at Moscow's largest oil refinery, hit residential buildings, and forced the evacuation of about 400 people after a drone struck a 21-story building.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that between February 2022 and June 2026, the Russian military suffered about 1.4 million battlefield casualties, including up to 450,000 deaths.
