Contractors and drones: two signals before 14 November 2024
A look back at two developments in the days before 14 November 2024, involving US contractors and a Moscow drone strike.
What had changed in the war in the days leading up to 14 November 2024? Two developments stood out in the reports of the period.
On 8 November 2024, the United States lifted its ban on deploying military contractors to Ukraine. The step allowed American companies to assist directly with maintenance and repair of U.S.-made weapons, such as F-16 fighter aircraft and Patriot air defence systems. Washington said the contractors would be positioned far from the front lines and would not engage in combat with Russian forces.
On 10 November 2024, 34 Ukrainian drones struck Moscow. One person was injured and at least 36 flights were diverted. Three Moscow airports were temporarily closed, and landings were diverted. The attack was later described as the largest drone strike on the city since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Taken together, the two reports showed a widening of foreign support for keeping Ukraine's Western-made equipment in service, and a Ukrainian drone attack reaching the Russian capital.
