By Bond Robertson 
The drone was found in a forest about 30 kilometers from Moscow, according to the authorities.
The attack did not go off, but it underscores Ukraine’s ability to carry out far-flung attacks within Russia’s borders. news agency writes AP.
Associate professor at the Norwegian Air Force School, Lars Peder Haga, says he believes it is very likely that the authorities’ message is correct: that Ukraine has sent a drone toward Moscow.
– In this case, the goal is to attack and damage targets in the area, says Dagbladet.
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Such a drone, weighing less than 20 kilograms of explosives, could not cause such large and decisive damage. Especially since it seems that the Ukrainian drones that were sent towards the Moscow region have not yet hit any effective targets.
Haga explains.
— but at the same time, it forces Russia to use resources to monitor and protect targets across Russia, not just near the border with Ukraine, he says.
Ukraine has targeted targets of great strategic importance in Russia in the past.
– For example, the Engels base near the Russian city of Saratov, which Ukraine attacked several times last December. It is the main base for Russian strategic bombers, and therefore a key component of Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces, says the first lieutenant.
If Ukraine targets important military targets, it has every right to attack, says his colleague, senior lecturer in intelligence at the Norwegian Defense Academy, Tom Roseth.
– Like their attacks on military airfields a few months ago, says Dagbladet.
Among other things, he refers to the same rule mentioned by Haga.
Shooting down drones with guns
On Monday, it was also reported that Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Crimean port city of Sevastopol. This was said by the Russian-appointed mayor of the city, Mikhail Razvozgaev.
– Our fleet (Russian Black Sea Fleet, Anim. magazine) is now repelling a drone attack, NTB said.
Sevastopol, like the rest of Crimea, was occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014, but remains internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has not commented on the discovery of a drone near Moscow, nor on this alleged attack. They never claimed responsibility for the attacks in Russia or the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
But they attacked Sevastopol before, let’s believe Russia.
In March, Russian forces had to shoot down drones using pistols in the port, according to Razvozgayev.
The Visit: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Sevastopol shortly before the alleged Ukrainian attacks in March. Photo: Sevastopol Governor’s press service / Tass / Sipa USA / NTB
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If this is true, it is important for the Ukrainian people to see that Ukraine is able to counter the attacks, in response to Russia’s campaign of extortion/terror, says Haga at the Air Force Academy.
– They launched this campaign against the civilian population with missiles and one-way drones, and among other things they attacked the electricity supply. This campaign aims to act by giving them a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Showing that you can resist this feeling, he tells Dagbladet, nullifies that feeling, and prevents the Russian campaign from working as intended.