Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow as U.S. accuses Iran of giving missiles to Russia

For the first time, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a Russian civilian in the capital region of Moscow. It was part of a 140-drone barrage and one of the war’s largest attacks by Ukraine into Russia. The U.S. also accused Iran of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia and announced new sanctions against Iran Air. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Daniel Byman.

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Geoff Bennett: For the first time, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a Russian civilian in the capital region of Moscow, part of a 140-drone barrage, one of the war’s largest attacks by Ukraine into Russia.

Ukraine had already seized territory the size of Los Angeles inside Russia’s Kursk region.

Amna Nawaz: Also today, the U.S. accused Iran for the first time of transferring ballistic missiles to Moscow for use against Ukraine.

Here’s Nick Schifrin with more.

Nick Schifrin: The unmistakable drone familiar to Kyiv now exploding in Russia’s capital.

The war has come to Moscow. This is the city’s suburbs, where Putin had promised the war would never visit, by day, the apartment complex, a purely civilian target, badly damaged by a single Ukrainian drone. If Ukraine wanted to frighten these residents, the attack worked.

woman (through interpreter): The first seconds, actually even now, it was a shock and stress. We were running. Managed to grab this dog and our kids. A horror movie.

Nick Schifrin: The strike wounded at least eight and for the first time killed a civilian. These are rare and jarring scenes to a Russian capital that has thus far managed to remain insulated.

But it was the second large-scale Ukrainian drone attack into Russia in as many weeks. Ukraine is increasingly taking the fight to Moscow with long-range strikes made possible by a booming homemade drone industry, as we saw last year.

Airlogix is one of more than 200 domestic drone manufacturers that have increased local production more than 100 times. Their flagship drone, the GOR, can fly as high as 10,000 feet.

Do you know what your long-range drones are being used for?

Vitalli Kolesnichenko, Founder and Manager, Airlogix (through interpreter): No. It’s classified.

Nick Schifrin: But Russia has built its own drone arsenal and is even manufacturing Iranian drones inside Russia with the help of Chinese components.

And, today, the U.S. confirmed Iran for the first time shipped Russia ballistic missiles. Fath-360 missiles have a range of about 75 miles. The U.S. says Russian military personnel trained how to use them in Iran. Russia can now use these to attack Eastern Ukraine, enabling Russia to use its own missiles for longer-range strikes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians. This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran’s destabilizing influence reaches far beyond the Middle East.

Nick Schifrin: In response to the missile transfer, the U.S. announced new sanctions today against Iran Air for helping procure weapons and Russian shipping companies for helping transport weapons, and European capitals restricted Iran air’s ability to fly to Europe.

To discuss the Iranian transfers and Ukraine’s drone attacks into Russia as well as U.S. support for Ukraine, we turn to Daniel Byman, professor of Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Daniel Byman, thanks very much. Welcome back to the “News Hour.”

You recently returned from Ukraine. Why do you believe Ukraine is trying to bring the war into Russia?

Daniel Byman, Georgetown University: I think there are a lot of factors.

There are some basic military goals. Ukraine is trying to disrupt supplies going to Russian troops in Ukraine itself. It’s trying to stop Russian attacks from Russian soil into Ukraine by going after air bases, by going after military depots.

But I think much of the goal is political. This is a war of attrition. So, morale on both sides matters tremendously. And the government is trying to show up the morale of the Ukrainian people themselves by saying, we’re hitting back. Russians are suffering just like we have suffered.

And at the same time, it’s trying to show ordinary Russians that they cannot remain immune from this and to shatter the image that Putin has been trying to convey that everything is fine, Russia is winning, and that ordinary Russians can simply go about their lives without the war disrupting them.

And the last thing I will say is that these attacks give Ukraine some ability to bargain with Russia, that Russia has been doing far worse and far more furious attacks on Ukraine for almost since the beginning of the war. And with these types of attacks on Russia itself, Ukraine can say, look, we can hit you too. Maybe we both reduce long-range attacks.

It’s also the possibility of saying, you need to eventually withdraw and have a political settlement because this war is not going to be won the way you think it is.

Nick Schifrin: Is there a military risk on the flip side for Ukraine, though?

Ukraine took some troops from Eastern Ukraine, from the Donbass, especially on Pokrovsk, where Russia is making gains around that key transport hub in Eastern Ukraine. They took troops from there and moved them into Kursk, into Russia, degrading its ability to defend Pokrovsk.

Is there a risk in Ukraine focusing on trying to get into Russia?

Daniel Byman: There’s absolutely a risk, and I would say a very high risk.

Russia has made steady advances in the Donbass area since Ukraine went into Kursk, since it went into Russia. And it hasn’t pulled significant troops from that area. And this was a gamble on Ukraine’s part that Russia might have to divert troops. Instead, Ukraine might lose more territory to Russia.

And I would emphasize that it doesn’t appear that Putin or the Russian military is panicking about the Kursk offensive, that they are willing to take it in stride, willing to bottle it up and continue their efforts in Ukraine itself.

And the Ukrainian forces there are exhausted. They’re in tremendous difficulty .And Russia can make even more gains in the coming weeks.

Nick Schifrin: Yes, in fact, defense officials tell me that Putin has clearly prioritized trying to seize more territory in Ukraine than defending his own territory from Ukrainian attack.

Let’s switch to the Iranian shipments. What kind of impact could these Iranian missiles going to Russia have on the war?

Daniel Byman: The missiles themselves are not going to be game changers, but they do make it easier for Russia to continue the war.

These missiles will enable Russia to continue short-range attacks and then use its existing longer-range systems to continue a heavy-level bombardment of Ukraine. And, again, this is a war of attrition, and it’s required huge numbers of munitions, missiles and so on. And by having more from Iran, by having support from China, this has helped Russia continue the fight and put a lot of pressure on Ukraine, even after a lot of its own initial reserves have been exhausted or at least in more short supply.

Nick Schifrin: And one of the main questions also being asked is, what is Russia giving Iran in return?

John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council staff, said today, Russia is — quote — “sharing technology that Iran needs, including on nuclear issues, and shares some information about space with Iran.”

How important is that?

Daniel Byman: This is potentially a game changer for Iran and for the Middle East.

Russia historically has been cautious about the level of technology it has shared with Iran, but right now it’s possible that Russia is being far more aggressive, that it’s willing to share nuclear missile, other advanced technology, and also that it’s willing to use its political power to protect Iran from U.S. pressure.

So Iran can benefit in lots of different ways, beyond very basic military cooperation.

Nick Schifrin: Dan Byman, thank you very much.

Daniel Byman: Thanks for having me.