Operators and sympathizers
In recent reports, Kyiv is described as nurturing a network inside Russia that involves agents who sabotage facilities. The group is said to include both Ukrainian operatives and individuals sympathetic to Ukraine. This framing appears in coverage that cites various American intelligence sources and a CNN briefing.
One CNN interlocutor suggested that Ukrainian forces supply these agents with drones manufactured in Ukraine to carry out attacks. Two American officials interviewed by CNN did not dismiss the possibility that drones provided to Kyiv were used by saboteurs operating inside Russia.
According to senior United States officials, the network is overseen by both the Main Intelligence Directorate and Ukraine’s Security Service. A source claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued general guidelines for saboteurs, but there is no requirement that every operation be coordinated with him. This depiction aligns with broader assessments circulating among intelligence partners.
Kremlin, oil refinery, residential buildings
Washington is said to believe that pro-Ukrainian elements carried out a drone attack against the Kremlin in early May. Official Russian communications described two drones hitting the Kremlin at night, and a CNN source noted that Ukraine’s military intelligence leadership has proposed bold operational ideas tied to symbolic actions.
Subsequent days saw incidents in the southern part of Russia, including fires at two oil refineries, the Ilyinsky refinery in the Krasnodar region and the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Rostov. Reports mention Zelensky’s February policy discussions about targeting locations where Russian troops are stationed within Rostov. There is a suggestion that drone support may be limited by the distance involved.
On May 30, two drones reportedly struck residential buildings in Moscow, affecting two addresses. In one case they reached upper floors, in the other the exterior façade sustained damage.
Sources quoted by the channel contend that the attacks could be linked to Ukraine’s intelligence network and that the drones might have been launched from within Russia rather than from Ukrainian territory.
Cross border smuggling
Details about how Ukrainian drones are moved into Russia remain unclear. Two intelligence sources cited by the channel describe smuggling routes used to shuttle drone components into Russia for assembly on the ground. An European intelligence source noted that the Russia-Ukraine border presents wide, hard to police gaps that can be exploited by smugglers. The assessment underscored the long-standing nature of these trafficking patterns and suggested that economic pressures in the border region influence decisions on risk and money.
When CNN asked for comment on the network of agents, Vasily Malyuk, the spokesman for Ukraine’s security leadership, indicated that unexplained explosions and drone assaults in Russia could continue. This reply echoed the high level of uncertainty that surrounds ongoing cross-border actions.