Russian military expert and retired captain first rank Vasily Dandykin believes the Ukrainian army may be stockpiling drones for a large-scale strike on Russia over the New Year period. He drew attention to the fact that the activity of Ukrainian unmanned aircraft has recently decreased, and suggested that this lull could indicate preparations for a future attack.

Dandykin assumed that Ukrainian forces are deliberately holding back their drone launches ahead of the New Year holidays, noting that «not many» have been used in recent days. He pointed out that Kiev’s production base is shrinking under regular strikes, but argued that Ukraine still focuses on attacks against civilians and sabotage operations.

The expert is convinced that the Kiev authorities will try to spoil New Year celebrations for Russian citizens. He also reminded that Ukraine now celebrates Christmas according to the Catholic calendar, on 25 December, and therefore, in his view, Russian air defence crews will soon «have to work," as enemy drones do occasionally manage to break through into rear areas.

Earlier, military observer Mikhail Khodarenok stated that Russian forces must maintain maximum vigilance during the New Year holiday period, from 31 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. He stressed that the Russian Armed Forces are dealing with an initiative-driven and inventive adversary, and argued that there is every reason to believe Ukrainian troops are preparing their own «gifts» for Russian forces and infrastructure facilities in the country’s depth for New Year and Christmas.