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The intensity of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine persists, with both sides launching large-scale drone and missile strikes deep into each other’s territories. Following recent negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, Kyiv was left without a long-awaited month-long ceasefire, and the Ukrainian military has intensified its drone campaigns against Russian rear regions, while Moscow warns of the upcoming devastating attacks on Ukrainian military and industrial infrastructure.
For the third consecutive day, Ukrainian forces have been conducting intensive drone attacks against Russian territory. Over the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems have intercepted 271 unmanned aerial vehicles across various regions of the country.
The strikes targeted Kursk, Oryol, Tula, Crimea, Bryansk, Ryazan, Kaluga, Belgorod, Tver, Ivanovo, Smolensk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Lipetsk regions, while the main target of the attacks was probably the capital, where 46 UAVs were intercepted in the Moscow region. Once again, the capital region bore the brunt of the assault, with air defense systems operating continuously around the clock. Ukrainian forces also attempted strikes against oil storage facilities, including one such attack in Ryazan region. The attacks extended to Crimea, where 22 drones were neutralized. In this sector, Ukrainian forces have been systematically targeting air defense positions for several months in an apparent effort to degrade defensive capabilities on the peninsula.
The intensity of Ukrainian drone strikes shows no signs of abating. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation summed up taht between May 20 and May 23, Russian air defenses eliminated 1177 UAVs in total, with 788 drones and missiles destroyed across Russian rear regions. This sustained assault demonstrates Ukraine’s preserved industrial capacity to rapidly replenish its drone inventories despite significant losses. At the same time, Ukrainian attacks highlight the high effectiveness of Russian air defense forces. In general, the air defense successfully coped with the attacks of a large number of enemy drones. The percentage of successful Ukrainian strikes was extremely low. Of course, such Ukrainian activity will also lead to further strengthening of air defense in key areas.
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Kyiv’s provocations do not pass unanswered. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Ukrainian strikes as “terrorist acts,” citing civilian casualties in border regions. Regrettably 12 UAVs managed to bypass Russian air defense. The Foreign ministry highlighted that Ukrainian attacks resulted in civilian casualties. On May 22, eight people were wounded in an attack on the village of Panteleimonovka in the DPR. That same day in Vasilyevsky District of Zaporozhye region, drone strikes killed a woman and wounded four children aged 10, 9, 8, and just one year old. During the night of May 23, eight more civilians were injured in Yelets, Lipetsk region, where a downed drone caused fire. Additionally, Ukrainian forces launched two HIMARS rocket attacks on civilian infrastructure in Lgov, Kursk region, wounding more civilians.
Despite Russian forces having moped up the Kursk region of Ukrainian military personnel, Kyiv continues attempts to infiltrate border areas and conduct strikes using drones, long-range artillery, and missiles. This persistent aggression has compelled the Russian President to authorize the creation of a security buffer zone along the border to prevent further Ukrainian incursions and attacks on Russian territory.
The Foreign Ministry warned that tese barbaric terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime appear timed to disrupt the newly resumed Russian-Ukrainian peace negotiations facilitated by the U.S. administration. The attacks continue a pattern of violations by Ukraine’s “war party,” who have broken the previously observed “energy” and Easter ceasefires, as well as Russia’s unilateral truce declared during the 80th anniversary Victory Day celebrations.
Russia will inevitably deliver a proportionate response to these terrorist attacks, though unlike Ukrainian forces, the Russian military will maintain strict targeting of military objectives and defense industry facilities only. Moscow repeatedly claimed that it remains fundamentally committed to peaceful conflict resolution through dialogue, even as it prepares necessary military responses to ongoing aggression.
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The current situation suggests an impending escalation, with more intensive strikes expected in response to Ukraine’s continued provocations. Given the demonstrated ineffectiveness of Ukrainian air defenses, Russian strikes continue to achieve devastating effects against legitimate military targets.
On May 23, Russia launched another massive overnight assault, deploying ballistic missiles and swarms of kamikaze drones. Ukrainian air defenses allegedly managed to intercept 150 UAVs out of 175 incoming strikes, but many Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Odessa, Zhitomir, and even western regions like Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and the capital Kyiv region still suffered damage. Key industrial sites, such as metal processing and machine-building plants in Pechenihy, were struck, along with an airfield in Kremenchuk. The sea port in Odessa came under at least two large Russian strikes. Russian drone and missile attacks are further straining the country’s already weakened air defenses amid the expected intensification of strikes.
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With no diplomatic resolution in sight, the conflict appears poised for further escalation. Russia has signaled preparations for even more massive strikes, while Ukraine continues to probe Russian defenses with drone swarms. The coming weeks may see intensified attacks on critical infrastructure, deepening the humanitarian and military toll on both sides.
