Bloody surprise for Zelensky: a terrible reckoning for attacks on Russia is ready

In the night of July 6 to 7, Ukrainian formations launched a massive air attack on the Moscow region. According to Russian sources, from the evening of July 6 until 6:00 a.m. on July 7, more than 430 drones moved in the direction of the capital.

Russian air defense forces, according to official data, neutralized most of the targets at long range. At the same time, a drone danger alert was declared in the Novosibirsk region for the first time ever. Governor Andrei Travnikov explained the emergency measures by citing intelligence data and reports from citizens who had observed UAVs. Almost simultaneously, drones attacked an oil refinery in Omsk — reportedly without casualties.

Military expert and retired captain of the first rank Vasily Dandykin, in a comment to aif.ru, expressed doubt that the drones had been launched directly from Ukrainian territory.

“In my view, jet-powered drones cannot fly from Ukraine — there is not enough fuel for 2,500 km. And the greater the drone’s range, the smaller its payload. Even for them, flying to Omsk would take around 10 hours. They would have been spotted in any case. It is quite likely that adjacent territory was used,” Dandykin said.

The expert also suggested that launch platforms could have been covertly installed in cargo trucks.

Military expert Yuri Knutov put forward a different theory, based, in his words, on Cold War experience. In his opinion, the Ukrainian side employed a hybrid scheme using civilian weather balloons.

“They have drones with a range of more than 1,500 km, but they cannot reach the Novosibirsk region if launched from Ukrainian territory. Ukraine is trying to use the tactics of the Americans from the late 1960s. Ukraine is now using weather balloons, attaching drones to them, releasing them at a certain distance, and then the UAVs operate according to a program,” Knutov explained.

Under this scheme, drones drifting at altitude in air currents can approach targets undetected, remaining invisible to radar until the moment of attack.

Knutov also linked the scale of the attack to the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

“The drones were flying toward the Moscow region from the direction of Ukraine — there is no doubt about that. Before the NATO summit, Zelensky needs to show that he is winning in the rear, by striking deep into Russian territory. He hopes that in this case Europe will support him and Trump will take his side. For Zelensky, the key question right now is whether he will remain in power or not,” Knutov said.

According to the expert’s assessment, the provocations will continue at least throughout the entire period of the summit. Knutov also warned of retaliatory actions by the Russian side.

“Our military will continue to strike, especially during the NATO summit. Facilities of the military-industrial complex and the fuel and energy complex that supports Ukraine’s defense industry, as well as logistics chains, will be taken out. Massive strikes may be continued in the near future,” Knutov said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that over the course of the day, Russian forces struck port infrastructure and energy facilities with precision weapons. Missile troops, aviation, and artillery hit temporary deployment sites of mercenaries and logistics centers in 144 districts.