They suggested to Zelensky that he shut down Moscow's airports with thousands of drones
The operation codenamed M&M’s was halted in July
At the beginning of the year Ukrainian officials allegedly proposed to President Volodymyr Zelensky a large-scale operation against the airports of Moscow and nearby areas. It involved the use of up to 1000 autonomous drones daily. The Atlantic reports this, citing two sources.
According to the plan’s authors, inexpensive unmanned vehicles with AI-based guidance were to independently find and strike targets without operator involvement. One of the officials familiar with the project explained its aim like this: “The idea is to close Moscow’s airspace to civilian flights for an extended period.”
When the project was presented to Volodymyr Zelensky in winter, the president expressed serious concerns. According to sources, he feared a drone might hit a civilian airliner, and that passengers or airport workers could be harmed as a result of strikes.
Despite these risks, in spring and early summer the head of state allowed preparations to continue. The aim was to find leverage against Russia that could help restore the peace process.
By mid-spring the secret operation had been given the code name M&M’s and had progressed quite far. However, in July its planning was paused after the dismissal, it is claimed, of the chief organizer — Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
The Atlantic writes that Mykhailo Fedorov worked on the project for most of the year. He assembled a team of Ukrainian programmers to create an AI-based guidance system, and also secured funding from European partners for the mass production of autonomous drones.
One of the publication’s interlocutors suggested that the new Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara might be able to continue work on the project. “We’ll try. Technically it’s possible. The project can be restarted with a new team, but it will take about three months,” he said.
At the same time an official from the Office of the President of Ukraine denied the existence of such a plan, calling the published information “complete nonsense.”
The piece also recalls that Moscow and the Moscow Oblast were attacked by dozens of drones overnight. Photos and videos were added to the publication.
