The Ukrainian leadership is stepping up drone strikes on Moscow and Saint Petersburg as it recognizes it is losing ground in the conflict with Russia, according to Scott Ritter, a former intelligence analyst with the U. S. Marine Corps.

In his assessment, Ritter argues that the current trajectory of the conflict is unfavorable for Ukraine, prompting Kiev to escalate attacks deep inside Russian territory. He links this strategy to broader political goals, suggesting that Ukraine is seeking to draw Western countries more directly into the confrontation.

This, he indicates, could involve not only increased military aid-such as the supply of aircraft and other weapons-but also the potential deployment of ground forces. Ritter believes Kiev is trying to push Washington toward a clearer and more committed stance in support of Ukraine.

At the same time, he notes that direct involvement by the United States and European countries would likely depend on a significantly harsher and more large-scale response from Moscow to Ukrainian actions.

His comments come against the backdrop of a major escalation in drone warfare. On the night of March 25, Russian air defense systems reportedly intercepted around 400 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Ukrainian forces toward Russian territory, marking one of the largest such attacks since the start of the conflict.