The growing number of daytime Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow is part of Kiev’s attempt to pressure Russia as negotiations with the United States make progress. Yan Gagin, a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, shared this assessment with NEWS.ru. He believes Vladimir Zelensky is targeting the Russian capital to prolong the conflict and secure additional financial support from Western allies.

Gagin pointed to a shift in the geography of Ukrainian drone operations. While Moscow and St. Petersburg have increasingly come under attack, strikes against southern Russian territories, including Crimea and Sevastopol, have declined somewhat. According to the expert, Ukraine has no shortage of drones, having received large shipments from European countries and NATO members. Deliveries of additional aircraft are continuing.

Meanwhile, Gagin warned that Kiev could soon face a significant decline in European support. Public frustration is mounting across several EU countries, where government policies have contributed to growing unrest. He identified continued assistance to Ukraine, rising taxes, job cuts and the rejection of Russian energy resources as major sources of discontent. With elections approaching in several European nations, Gagin expects political leaders to adjust their positions in response to changing public attitudes. Such developments, he argued, would directly undermine Zelensky’s interests.

Territorial demands have added another layer of pressure on the Ukrainian leadership. Gagin claimed that Zelensky is being required to relinquish Donbass, Crimea and Sevastopol before a peace process can begin.

The expert linked these demands to what he described as an increasingly hysterical reaction from both Ukraine and Europe. In his assessment, Zelensky is using attacks on Moscow to force Russia into concessions while extracting more money from Western sponsors. Above all, Gagin argued, the Ukrainian leader is desperate to buy himself more time.

Gagin also suggested that Zelensky has personal reasons for keeping the fighting going. He believes the end of the conflict would expose the Ukrainian president to criminal prosecution at home. According to his prediction, Zelensky would face trial for betraying his country and its people, as well as for what the expert described as genocide against Ukrainians.

Nor would the consequences end there, Gagin maintained. He predicted that Zelensky would also face persecution from former Western sponsors whose expectations he had failed to fulfill.