Mass strikes by Russian jet-powered drones against key targets in Ukraine could influence the course of the special military operation and push Ukraine’s military and political leadership toward accepting Moscow’s terms, military analyst and retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok told Gazeta. Ru.

In his assessment, the decisive factor would be the scale of the strikes. Khodarenok believes their intensity would need to increase, with the main targets remaining the most vulnerable elements of Ukraine’s economic and defense-industrial complexes, communications infrastructure and key energy facilities. Under such circumstances, he argues, the pressure could become sufficient to change Kyiv’s position on the terms of a peace settlement.

Khodarenok placed particular emphasis on the Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered drones. He described their high speed as a serious challenge for air defense systems. According to him, small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns cannot effectively engage such targets because of their speed.

The expert also considers the use of surface-to-air missiles against these drones impractical in terms of cost-effectiveness. He noted that an air defense missile costs more than the Russian drone itself.

From a strategic perspective, Khodarenok described the emergence and mass deployment of jet-powered drones as a new chapter in warfare. In his assessment, if the number and intensity of such strikes continue to increase, they could become one of the factors capable of changing the course of the special military operation and bringing it closer to an end on Moscow’s terms.