The Atlantic: Zelenskyy weighed plan to paralyse Moscow’s airports

Ukrainian officials reportedly presented President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a “risky plan” in early 2026 aimed at helping bring the war to an end. The proposal called for a large-scale operation involving 1,000 artificial-intelligence-enabled drones targeting Moscow’s airports, according to The Atlantic.

“The idea is to close Moscow’s airspace to civilian flights for an extended period,” one official familiar with the plan was quoted as saying.

When the proposal was presented to Zelenskyy during the winter, he reportedly expressed serious concerns. According to the source, the president feared that the drones could strike a civilian airliner in Moscow, particularly if the operation resulted in passengers, airport personnel or crew members being killed or wounded.

Nevertheless, in an effort to identify a point of pressure on Russia that could potentially revive the peace process, Zelenskyy allowed preparations for the operation to continue for several months during the spring and early summer.

By mid-spring, the secret operation had advanced sufficiently to receive the code name M&M's. Planning was subsequently suspended in July after Zelenskyy dismissed what was described as its “main organiser,” Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

One source expressed hope that Ukraine’s new defense minister, Yevgeny Khmara, would continue implementing the plan.

A Ukrainian presidential office official, however, denied that any such plan existed in comments to the publication.

By Tamilla Hasanova