Zelenskyy calls drone strikes on Moscow region justified

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised recent Ukrainian long-range drone strikes against targets in Moscow and the surrounding region during a video interview ^[1].

These statements signal a strategic shift in the conflict, as Ukraine brings the physical costs of the war directly to the Russian capital. By validating these operations, Zelenskyy is framing the strikes as a psychological and military necessity to force an end to the invasion.

Speaking with journalist Ali Mazur in Kyiv on May 17, 2026, Zelenskyy said the operations were "quite fair" responses to Russia's decision to prolong the war [1, 2]. He linked the strikes to the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities ^[2].

Zelenskyy used the interview to send a direct message to the Kremlin. "End your war," he said ^[3].

The president noted that the conflict is shifting in a way that brings the fighting closer to the origin of the aggression. He said that the war is returning to its "native harbor" ^[3].

While some reports specify the targets were within the city of Moscow, others indicate the strikes hit the broader Moscow region [2, 3]. Zelenskyy did not provide specific technical details about the drones used but framed the ability to hit these targets as a justified reaction to the prolonged nature of the hostilities ^[2].

This public evaluation follows a series of long-range operations designed to penetrate Russian air defenses. The Ukrainian leadership is positioning these strikes not as random acts of escalation, but as calculated responses to the continued shelling of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure [1, 2].