Ukraine considered AI drone swarm attacks on Moscow airports, report says

Ukraine explored a covert operation involving AI-driven drone swarms targeting Moscow's airports, a plan detailed in "The Atlantic" and reportedly halted after the defense minister's dismissal. The operation, codenamed "M&Ms," aimed to deploy up to 1,000 autonomous drones nightly to paralyze air traffic in the Russian capital.

Sources told the publication that the goal was to sever international connections for Russian political and business elites, thereby pressuring President Vladimir Putin to initiate peace talks. The drones were intended to use AI for terrain mapping and target recognition, enabling them to bypass Russian electronic warfare systems by eliminating the need for operator communication. Similar systems have been tested globally, but their use in conflict remains legally contentious.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly expressed concerns that accidental strikes on civilian aircraft could be construed as acts of terror or piracy. A presidential spokesperson declined to comment, while another official anonymously denied the existence of such a drone swarm plan, calling it "complete nonsense." This official also stated that Ukraine lacks the long-range weaponry precision for such an operation and that previous strikes on infrastructure aimed only to temporarily close airspace.

The "M&Ms" operation preparations were reportedly halted in July following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was a key architect of Ukraine's drone program. While his successor, Yevhenii Hmyra, has taken office, sources estimate that restarting the project would take at least three months. The Ukrainian parliament approved Hmyra's appointment on Wednesday, replacing Fedorov, who served from January 14 to July 16, 2026.