Ukraine plans to close Russia's airports through "Operation Carpet" using drones

According to Ukrainian and Western officials and military commanders, the plan, dubbed “Operation Carpet,” relies on sending dense swarms of drones to circle the air corridors near airports, which automatically forces Russian air traffic control systems to automatically suspend takeoffs and landings for safety reasons.

The ultimate goal, according to the newspaper, is to transform the temporary closure periods into a complete and permanent closure that paralyzes air navigation in the European part of Russia, without directly targeting civilian aircraft.

A Ukrainian military official said that the plan comes in response to the escalation of intense Russian air and missile strikes targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

The report coincided with a warning issued by outgoing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to international airlines and insurance companies, stressing that “Russian airspace has become completely unsafe,” and calling on them to re-evaluate the risks and avoid using major airports, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Navigational data on which the newspaper relied showed that about 16,000 Ukrainian drones crossed Russian airspace during the past month alone, while military experts believe that implementing the plan effectively may require sending up to 1,000 artificial intelligence-guided drones per night towards the airports of the Russian capital and its surroundings to keep them closed for long periods.

A Ukrainian official told the newspaper, "Our plan to close airports in Russia and paralyze civil and commercial aviation comes in response to the escalation of its raids on Ukraine."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Ukraine was bombing purely civilian targets on Russian territory, which forced Russia to respond in kind.

Earlier, Putin confirmed that the damage inflicted by Ukraine on Russia is “not critical,” and that Kiev is unable to deliver a fundamental blow to Moscow.

Regarding the situation on the contact line, Putin said that “its dynamics are clear to everyone,” adding that “Russian forces are advancing daily on all front axes, at a faster pace in some places and slower in other places.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed his belief that his administration is capable of ending the conflict in Ukraine, while Putin confirmed the continuation of contacts with the US administration, expressing his hope that it would lead to positive results.