What Other Cards Does Ukraine Still Have Up Its Sleeve?

Trump's statements do not prevent Kyiv from putting pressure on Putin.

After U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that Kyiv stop striking Russian oil refineries for the sake of a diesel supply deal, Ukraine shifted its focus to other vulnerable targets. Ukrainian drones are disrupting operations at Moscow airports and Russian data centers, creating new problems for the country’s economy and daily life, writes The Atlantic.

Since early October, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have attacked at least four Russian data centers, including Yandex facilities. This resulted in widespread disruptions to banking services, taxi apps, food delivery services, and electronic payment systems. According to the Russian publication *Kommersant*, it could take up to six months to restore Yandex’s damaged infrastructure.

At the same time, Ukrainian drones are regularly forcing Moscow airports to close. In just one week, the Russian capital had to cancel 345 flights. However, the drones do not necessarily attack the airports themselves: the mere presence of a threat in the airspace is enough for authorities to suspend flights.

“The Russian sky is becoming extremely dangerous,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging international airlines to consider the risks when flying to Russia.

Ukraine is developing a larger-scale operation using drones equipped with artificial intelligence-based guidance systems. In the future, these could enable attacks on airports in Moscow and other Russian cities while bypassing air defense systems. For now, this strategy is being implemented cautiously to avoid posing a direct threat to civilian aircraft.

However, Russia is responding by intensifying its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Trains are increasingly becoming targets: according to the head of Ukrainian Railways Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, 47 locomotives were hit in September.

Trump’s deal with Moscow complicates Ukraine’s strategy of wearing down the Russian economy. “This means we need to change our strategy,” said one Ukrainian military official interviewed by The Atlantic.

Ukraine still has the means to put pressure on Russia’s rear, but economic losses alone may not be enough to force Putin to agree to a ceasefire.

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