"Hundreds Of Drones At Airfields": What Are The Goals Of Ukraine's M&M's Operation?

In Russia, flights are being canceled one after another.

Ukraine needs to strike Russian civilian airfields, as they are equipped with systems designed to jam Ukrainian UAVs. This opinion was expressed on the program “Vot Tak”, a Ukrainian military expert and reserve colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Svitán voiced this opinion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously threatened to render Russian airspace unfit for civilian aviation. According to The Atlantic, Zelenskyy launched an operation to block Russian airports.

In mid-August, The Atlantic journalist Simon Shuster reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning an operation codenamed “M&M’s,” which involved the simultaneous launch of a massive number of AI-powered UAVs (up to 1,000 per day) toward Moscow’s airports. The goal of the plan was to close Moscow’s airspace to civilian flights for an extended period, prevent the Russian elite from taking international flights, and thereby force them to feel the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine.

According to The Atlantic, planning for the operation was suspended in July when Zelenskyy dismissed its chief organizer Mikhail Fedorov from the post of defense minister. After the article was published, Fedorov confirmed that the Defense Ministry had indeed been developing plans for Operation “M&M’s.” The Telegraph reports that Kyiv ultimately abandoned the operation over the summer due to concerns about civilian casualties and a negative reaction from European partners.

However, on September 2, Simon Shuster reported, citing a source, that Zelenskyy had, in fact, given the go-ahead for Operation “M&M’s.” Prior to this, the Ukrainian president stated that Ukraine intends to render Russian airspace unfit for civilian aviation.

Ukrainian military expert Roman Svitan notes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ strikes on Russian airports serve another purpose — civilian airfields are equipped with ground-based beacons and surveillance radars, which Russian air defense units use to intercept Ukrainian UAVs.

“The Russians, using information [from the beacons and surveillance radars], are trying to shoot down Ukrainian drones. To protect the drones, Ukraine is countering Russian electronic warfare units. And this confrontation will ultimately lead to the destruction of this airfield and technical equipment, including at civilian airfields. Without destroying it, we won’t be able to thwart Russia’s electronic warfare forces or its air defense systems,” — Svitán said on the “Vot Tak” program.

According to the expert, strikes could target not only airfields in Moscow, but also, for example, those in St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, and the North Caucasus. In order to paralyze a single airport, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would have to launch several dozen drones at it, says the military expert:

“This means that at least several hundred drones would need to be sent against the airfields. Moreover, these drones must be of a specific type. They must jam Russian radar; these are drones that must be guided by radio signals.”

Svitán also suggests that Ukraine could use not only drones but also missiles in strikes against airfields. Under these circumstances, Kyiv will have to warn civilian airlines and insurance companies that it plans to carry out such operations in order to avoid civilian casualties.

Drones and Russian Airspace

On September 1, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian airspace is becoming dangerous due to the massive presence of Ukrainian UAVs. He warned all airlines that use Russian airspace of this, since Kyiv, as the president noted, does not want to allow civilian casualties.

Following Zelenskyy’s statement, Ukraine issued a warning to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The next day, September 2, the Turkish airlines Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines canceled several flights between Turkey and cities in Russia. This followed a drone attack in the Moscow region, which led to restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures at Vnukovo Airport for several hours. The airlines themselves have not yet linked the cancellations to the threat of drone attacks. On the night of September 3, Moscow airports also suspended operations due to drones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on Zelenskyy’s statement about Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace, called his words “a call for state terrorism.” He also warned that if “such tragedies (the downing of Russian aircraft due to UAV attacks—Ed.) continue to occur, we will find a way to respond; let no one doubt that.”

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