03.05.2026

On the eve of “Victory Day” on May 9 and a parade with the participation of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, a record number of air defense assets were brought to Moscow. Because of this, other areas were actually exposed and many “corridors” appeared for Ukrainian drones. Will there be a strike on Moscow? Given the increased concentration of air defense assets, it is unlikely. However, Ukraine will not heed the requests of partners not to strike at certain Russian facilities, because our country does not receive adequate compensation for “missed strikes”.

As for the position of Ukraine’s Western partners, in particular, regarding the possible surrender of Ukrainian territories as a pledge of peace, unfortunately, it is based on the fact that for them, Ukraine’s defeat still looks more attractive than Russia’s defeat. That is why Ukraine’s steadfastness in defending its interests is “beginning to infuriate.”

This opinion was expressed in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA by the executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, Dmytro Zhmaylo .

– The Kremlin still decided to hold the “Victory” parade on May 9, albeit in a shortened version. The day before, during a conversation with US President Trump, the head of the Kremlin Putin proposed a ceasefire on this date. At the same time, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had not received any official or unofficial proposals for a ceasefire. In your opinion, does the Kremlin really need this ceasefire in order to safely hold the parade? And does Ukraine have the ability to strike at one person who will be on Red Square?

– One hundred percent of this is directly related to the security of the parade. The brevity of the parades in Moscow in historical retrospect, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, is related to the effectiveness of our strikes, as they say, “with the operational situation.” But what is this “operational situation”? This is the war with Ukraine. We see how every year fewer and fewer leaders of states come to Russia precisely because of the threat of our strikes.

Putin’s paradigm and position is no longer to simply ask Ukraine not to strike. Because everyone is asking – Americans, Europeans, not to strike at the refinery, but we strike anyway, because there is no adequate compensation for our failures , there are no adequate proposals. And so, we are fighting back, we are fighting for survival. As they say, nothing personal.

So this is one hundred percent connected and wrapped up in a pseudo-peace initiative. We are using this to advance our position, emphasizing a full and comprehensive ceasefire. Of course, Russia will definitely not go for it.

Regarding whether we will strike at Moscow or not? Russia has exposed many areas. We see Tuapse, we see Perm. All live air defense is concentrated closest to Moscow, which is not only saturated, but also oversaturated with air defense means. There are also a few local points left – Valdai, Yelabuga, etc.

But after our strikes, in particular on Ust-Luz in the Leningrad region, there are questions about Russia’s defense capabilities. We have reached the production rate to carry out massive air strikes, and we are carrying them out, despite the fact that most of our drones are still getting lost. However, successful strikes on Tuapse, repeated strikes, today it flew again, oil rains, civil discontent, the tightening of security forces, attempts to keep the situation under control…

That is, to put it mildly, Ukraine can emulate Russia’s main ideological holiday , “May 9”, which has already become a separate myth, a separate religion or quasi-religion in the Russian Federation.

Will we strike at Moscow? Maybe we will strike not at Moscow, but at other regions, because due to Putin’s fear, even more air defense assets have been moved to the capital of the Russian Federation, and we will use this solely for reasons of military expediency, no more and no less.

– As far as I understand, it doesn’t matter to us what date to choose for the attacks – May 9, 8, 10 or some other, because only the aggressor country is attached to its “sacred” dates. You said that Ukraine can take advantage of the fact that a large number of air defense assets are currently concentrated in Moscow. Is it known where exactly these air defense assets were transferred from, that is, which objects in Russia were left de facto without air defense cover?

– They definitely weren’t taken from the first line, that is, directly from the line of combat contact, because this is the main line of defense. There was information about our strike on Yekaterinburg – it was a record distance, 1,800 kilometers – the locals wrote that there was no air defense there. Moreover, the question arose whether it was there at all, because our drones flew there without any obstacles.

So, they will certainly leave them on the first edge, but as for other regions, air defense assets are located in the European part of Russia. I think everything beyond the Urals has been exposed for a long time. They will continue to pull air defenses to Moscow. Where exactly? Yes, from everywhere. Our strikes confirm that even before May 9, a lot of holes had formed in the Russian air defense , a lot of relatively safe corridors for us.

– This is not the first time President Zelensky has proposed a long-term ceasefire. You do not believe that the enemy will agree to this, but assuming that Trump puts pressure on the Kremlin or Putin decides that this step will be politically beneficial for him, do you suppose that this is where the real end of the war in Ukraine could begin?

– No, because as long as Russia is at war, as long as it has not lost, the war ensures the legitimacy of Putin’s power, it keeps the system under control, despite the growing risks. The result of these risks is sectoral Internet shutdowns in Russia, studying the experience of China, North Korea, blocking Telegram, etc.

Russia will fight to the last in the hope that the world will put pressure on Ukraine and, accordingly, it will be able to “save face.” As long as the war continues, as long as Russia does not lose, this keeps Putin in power. So no, he is not interested in a long-term ceasefire – he is ready to burn everything down just to preserve his dictatorship.

– You said that until Russia loses, this will continue. But it is in the information field that Russia is currently very active, in particular, trying to exaggerate its successes in the war against Ukraine on the battlefield. Unfortunately, these narratives are heard not only within Russia itself, but also, for example, in Putin’s communication with Trump. They are also being promoted in Europe. Perhaps it is not for nothing that the other day German Chancellor Merz stated that Ukraine may have to give up its unoccupied territories of the Donetsk region precisely for the sake of the war ending. In your opinion, is it really in the information field that a much more dangerous war is taking place for Ukraine than on the front?

– Look, informational and psychological operations are primarily aimed at European societies and peoples, so that they put pressure on their governments to refuse to support Ukraine, as it is hopeless, and to persuade us to capitulate. The leaders of the states are guided by their own interests.

The reason for this is the same – the Western world has no vision of what Russia could be like without Putin, without his regime. How will the territory be controlled, who will control the nuclear button, how will the stability of the region be ensured when this entire architecture simply starts to crumble, etc.

Instead, we demonstrate resilience; we have declared that we will not trade territories, we will not lose, we will hold on. The situation at the front is better than a year ago, why should we capitulate, surrender our main defensive fortifications? Because you believe that Putin will not go further, or that he will not go for at least 3-4 years, because he does not have the strength? And what should we do next with this monster? This is the main consequence, and we understand it perfectly.

This does not mean that Merz is good or bad, or that Trump is good or bad. Demonizing Trump is the task of the Democratic Party and those structures, including those in Ukraine, that receive funding from them. Instead, Ukraine is bending its line and building pragmatic relations with the United States.

But the main reason is that the defeat of Ukraine is a more acceptable option than the defeat of Russia. At the same time, Berlin is taking constructive steps and a lot to support Ukraine. Merz’s coming to power has seriously and radically changed this situation.

But still, our resilience is starting to get annoying. We really want to talk to Ukraine like in 1994, to bend it and sign a new “Budapest Memorandum”. But we are no longer in that position and, accordingly, demand to be reckoned with.

Due to unity, due to the stability of the country’s top military-political leadership and the president, the stability of the military – because this diplomatic position is built on the stability of the army – the unity of society, despite the contradictions, they cannot force us to capitulate. This is the whole secret of our success.

The separate Presidential Brigade named after Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky defends Ukraine in the east, protects the Kyiv region and the sky over the capital. It is its fighters who shoot down “Shaheeds” and missiles during air raids. You can join the Presidential Brigade to serve among worthy people and fight the enemy in the position that suits you. The brigade has a number of combat and non-combat vacancies.

https://war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/pered-9-travnya-v-rf-utvorilasya-bezlich-koridoriv-dlya-ukrainskih-droniv-intervyu-z-zhmajlom.htm