"At this point, it may be Ukraine's own UJ-22 drone, or a Chinese-made Mugin-5, which was apparently used by Ukraine before," while Kyiv's PD-1 drone is another option, said Samuel Bendett, a researcher in uncrewed military systems who is an analyst with the CNA Russia Studies Program.
The UJ-22 "has a long range and can potentially reach Moscow," but it is unclear where the drones were launched from at this point, said Bendett, who emphasized that much is still unknown as of now.
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But a strike by an adversary on the heart of the Russian government would still carry "a strong psychological impact," Bendett said.
It would also raise questions about the quality of Russian air defenses.
"Russian commentators hinted even last year it probably can't protect the entire country and that there may be gaps that can be exploited," Bendett said, though it is "unclear why this drone was not intercepted over Moscow."
Read the full story and more from AFP in Barron's.
Author
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Samuel Bendett
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program
Samuel Bendett is an Adviser with CNA Strategy, Policy, Plans and Programs Center (SP3), where he is a member of the Russia Studies Program. His work involves research on the ...
