Video of Russia Shooting Santa Out of the Sky Speaks to Growing Fear of Ukrainian Drones

A jolly, red-suited Santa flies over Red Square and the Bolshoi Theater. His sleigh is packed with “gifts” for Russia: Western missiles. On the ground, a grim air defense gunner pushes a button. A missile streaks across Moscow’s night sky. Santa and his sleigh are the center of a bright explosion that morphs into Christmas fireworks. Standing by, Russia’s “Father Frost” intones approvingly: “We don’t need anything foreign in our sky.”This video clip started circulating Friday on Russian social media networks. At the same time, the world is digesting the news that a Russian air defense gunner on Wednesday apparently shot down an Azerbaijan Airlines civilian airliner, killing 38 of the 67 aboard.Decades ago, during the heat of the Cold War, hair-trigger Soviet fighter pilots shot down two Korean Airlines passenger flights in five years. Today, in the heat of drone warfare, hair-trigger air defense gunners are making Russia’s skies unsafe for commercial aviation. As of today, Israel’s El Al and the airlines of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have suspended all air service to Russia. Yesterday, radar sightings of Ukrainian drones prompted Moscow’s four main airports to close for several hours. Two weeks ago, a large Russian navy cargo plane, an An-72, mysteriously blew up at Ostafyevo International Business Airport outside Moscow. On Friday, more radar blips prompted authorities to temporarily close the airports of Kazan, Samara, Grozny, Makhachkala, and Sochi. On Wednesday, during a scheduled flight to Grozny from Baku, the two pilots of the Azeri plane unwittingly violated Russia’s “Carpet Protocol.” After the gunner of a Pantsir S1 air defense battery damaged the regional jet, the Azeri pilots found the three closest Russian airports were closed due to Ukrainian drone threats. With the plane’s aluminium tail perforated with shrapnel, the pilots maneuvered the plane 250 miles across the Caspian Sea, only to crash on approach to the airport at Aktau, Kazakhstan.Images of the fiery crash thrust into the eyes of the world a little noticed, months-long campaign by Ukraine to bring the war home to Western Russia. Scattered over an area 20 times the size of New England, individual bombings of Russian oil depots, air bases, and ammunition arsenals do not make news. Yet as a campaign, the bombings make President Putin look like a Wizard of Oz, an impotent defender of his people and his land.In Ukraine’s open society, Russia’s Christmas Day bombings of Ukraine’s power- and heat-generating plants were well chronicled in the Western press. In Russia’s closed society, though, military censorship reduces reporting on Ukraine’s bombing campaign to analysis of satellite photos or viewing of internet posts of dash cam videos.In this phase of the nearly 3-year-long war, image is all important. Russia and Ukraine are desperately jousting for position ahead of peace talks expected after the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Trump.From the last two weeks, here are highlights from Ukraine’s bombing campaign, largely against military targets in “European” Russia.December 13:Ukrainian drones hit a major oil depot in Russia’s Oryol region, situated adjacent to the Kursk region where Russian and North Korean soldiers fight Ukrainian occupiers. Several tanks were set afire at the production facility Stalny Kon, or Steel Horse. At about the same time, Ukrainian drones destroyed a large Russian ammunition depot in Markine, occupied Donetsk.December 18:Drones from Ukraine’s state security service and at least one missile from Ukraine’s navy shut down one of Russia’s largest oil refineries. Situated 10 miles east of Ukraine’s border, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery processed 70,000 barrels of oil daily for Russia’s military in Ukraine. As the fire raged, the region’s acting governor, Yury Slyusar, said on Telegram: “The Rostov region was subjected to a massive attack by the enemy, who used more than three dozen UAVs and three missiles.”December 18:In the same wave of drones and missiles on Novoshaktinsk, Ukraine inflicted serious damage on the Kamensky Chemical Plant, a major source for rocket fuel for Russia. A Russian military blogging channel speculated that Ukraine used American ATACMS or British Silver Shadows missiles for the attack. The city is about 140 miles from the front line.December 19:Two massive explosions took place near the main naval base of Russia’s northern fleet, at Severomorsk, and two military airfields. The support base for Russian military operations in the Arctic, Severomorsk is 1,200 miles north of Ukraine.December 21:A small Ukrainian plane flew 700 miles east of Ukraine and crashed into a glass-tower residential high rise at Kazan, capital of Tatarstan Republic. Although the military value was negligible, videos of the plane exploding against the building had high propaganda value for Ukraine in the “Global South.” Two months ago, Kazan hosted the annual summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This time, leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates attended.December 22:Four drones destroyed the main ammunition arsenal at Russia’s largest training ground, Kadamovsky. Situated 30 miles east of Ukraine’s border, the range has been a major springboard for soldiers moving into Ukraine.December 22:A major fire destroyed a warehouse for production of Iranian-licensed Shahed drones at Alabuga, Tatarstan, 800 miles east of Ukraine. Ukraine’s military intelligence announced a “mysterious devastating fire” without claiming authorship.December 23:One of Russia’s largest cargo ships, Ursa Major, sank in calm waters off the coast of Spain. The Russian owner, Oboronlogistics, blamed a “terrorist explosion.” A unique vessel for Russia, the “Big Bear” was carrying two 380-ton port cranes and 45-ton reactor hatches for a nuclear-powered icebreaker under construction at Vladivostok. Of the 16 crew members, 14 were rescued.December 23:Ukrainian drones conducted their third attack in three years on Millerovo, a Russian air base 100 miles east of Ukraine. The drones have forced Russia’s air force to move almost all of its Sukhoi jets 100-200 miles farther east, giving Ukraine air defenses better reaction time.___________Correction: Two pilots were flying the Azeri plane that was struck by Russian fire. An earlier version misstated the number.

Video of Russia Shooting Santa Out of the Sky Speaks to Growing Fear of Ukrainian Drones

Video of Russia Shooting Santa Out of the Sky Speaks to Growing Fear of Ukrainian Drones

More from the New York Sun

Apple Rushes its First Folding iPhone Launch — But Most Buyers Must Wait To Get One

Ohio Governor’s Race Tilts Toward Democrats After Ramaswamy’s Controversial Attack Ad

Kim Jong Un Pays Surprise Visit to Communist China, Reviving Talk of a Possible Summit With Trump

Cézanne, Modigliani, and Soutine: Parisian Rebels Who Made Art Modern Reunite at Brooklyn Museum

Escalating Protests, Security Concerns Overshadow NFL’s Paris Debut

Ukraine Reports Restored Access to Starlink Amid Contradictory Accounts of Who Ordered the Slowdown

Two Ex-FBI Officials Face Charges of Lying to Congress Over Hunter Biden Probe

The College Degree Is Less a Must and More a Financial Calculation

More from the New York Sun

Apple Rushes its First Folding iPhone Launch — But Most Buyers Must Wait To Get One

Ohio Governor’s Race Tilts Toward Democrats After Ramaswamy’s Controversial Attack Ad

Kim Jong Un Pays Surprise Visit to Communist China, Reviving Talk of a Possible Summit With Trump

Cézanne, Modigliani, and Soutine: Parisian Rebels Who Made Art Modern Reunite at Brooklyn Museum

Escalating Protests, Security Concerns Overshadow NFL’s Paris Debut

Ukraine Reports Restored Access to Starlink Amid Contradictory Accounts of Who Ordered the Slowdown

Two Ex-FBI Officials Face Charges of Lying to Congress Over Hunter Biden Probe

The College Degree Is Less a Must and More a Financial Calculation