Ukraine's Drone Escalation Forces Russia to Choose Between Defending Moscow or the Front

Ukrainian drones striking Moscow and St. Petersburg in coordinated attacks have intensified in frequency and simultaneity, penetrating 500–600 kilometers into Russian territory. Russia now faces a structural constraint: repositioning air-defense systems to protect the capital thins coverage over occupied Ukrainian territory and fuel infrastructure feeding the war economy. Ukraine's campaign generates immediate disruption—airport shutdowns, energy-sector attrition—while imposing cumulative costs on Russian repair cycles already strained by Western sanctions.