Ukraine developed and halted plans to target Moscow airports with swarms of AI drones

The goal of this project was to stop international carriers from flying in and out of Moscow, creating another pressure point on Russia.

Zelenskyy expressed strong reservations against the plan due to the inherent risk it posed to civilians.

The Atlantic reported that the initiative was presented to Zelenskyy this winter.

The president voiced deep worry about the potential risks to civil aviation, specifically the danger of accidentally striking a passenger plane or killing civilians near airports, according to one source.

The outlet claimed, however, that development continued for several months, as Ukraine was seeking new means of applying pressure on Russia. Preparations for the project, codenamed M&M's, were already well underway by mid-spring.

The mastermind behind the operation was former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, according to the news agency. Fedorov helped assemble a team of Ukrainian computer programmers to develop the AI guidance system, and he secured financing from Ukraine’s allies in Europe to produce the autonomous drones at scale, one source told The Atlantic.

The operation has since been halted.

A new team could still revive the project in the future, according to the publication's source.

Ukrainian officials have not publicly acknowledged the project, and the report could not be independently verified.

A representative from the Ukrainian presidential office flatly denied the claims, telling The Atlantic that no such operation was being planned.

The claims of a massive drone strike rest entirely on anonymous sources and remain unverified by Ukrainian authorities.

Drone strikes on Moscow

Moscow and the surrounding region have faced repeated drone attacks in recent months.

Russian authorities periodically restrict airspace at Moscow airports following these strikes, delaying or canceling dozens of civilian flights.

The latest large-scale attack in the Moscow region knocked out electricity, leaving thousands of residents without power.