Today there was another drone strike towards Moscow. These attempts don't result in strategic gain for Ukraine. I don't know what their plan was by conducting this attack. But as these increase Kyiv and other parts would be targeted more with attacks by Russia. It will only result in escalation of the conflict not in favor for Ukraine. These would result in further escalation like already Russia retreated from the grain deal.
Maybe Russian allied countries like China and Iran can offer a dense shorad-air defence line sourth of Moscow to stop low flying drones. In return for a negotiated deescalation zone like for example Russia won't conduct attacks to Kyiv,Lviv, Ternopil and similar areas west of Dnieper. The defense line would stop future attacks practically even if Ukraine is unwilling to stop these attacks and Russia won't conduct escalatory attacks towards Ukranian mentioned regions after these types of failed attacks as a one sided deescalation decision. This would in turn deescalate the conflict in my opinion from the Ukranian side as well opposing the current policies of their govt. Hitting moscow with drones won't grant any gain for Ukraine anyways other than the escalation of the conflict. The ad equipment should not be used in conflict zones by Russia but only south of Moscow as a security line and deescalation option for Russia to hit less parts of Ukraine. Also it would be an opportunity for Nato to conduct sigint data for Chinese and possible Iraninan shorads by drones so these countries would take this into account and take measures like connecting the shorads to main Russian radar network and not emitting their latest eccm to Ukranian drones and other possible measures. Usa and other Ukr allied countries don't advocate Ukraine hitting parts like Moscow at least not openly. This measure would also result in stopping of Russian attacks west of Dnieper except several regions like Odessa and west Kherson. There is nothing to say in my opinion from Ukranian side towards this type of measure.
Odessa for the list is a different issue however which can be included to non-hitting zones if Ukraine stops hitting Crimea. In return it can be negotiated with Russia that they would pull out significant part of their aviation from Crimea to airbases deep inside their territories and won't use Crimean airbases for attack inside Ukraine. They would use the bases only temporarily and defensively if counteroffensive happens like to host helicopters and Su25s. Aviation pull out is probably the current case as well since this area is continiously targeted by Ukraine Russia could have already pulled their air forces considerably from that area. West of Kherson can be used as a grouping point for a Ukranian bridgehead operation to estern Kherson so it can't be included to the list as well as other cities of Ukraine east of Dniepr yet. Also Russian cities close to Ukraine can still be targeted by Ukraine but Russia can opt for hitting east of Dnieper in such cases instead of deescalation zones like Kyiv. Also airbases that are detected to be used to carry out storm shadow cruise missile attacks can't be included as well. The deescalation measure for these airbases can be Russia won't attack deescalation zone airbases unless as a one time retaliatory attack against a Ukranian storm shadow cruise missile attack or similar everytime an attack is detected coming from one of these airbases. If f16s are transferred airbases hosting the planes west of Dnieper cannot be included to the list as well. Also in east of Dnieper hitting the arms depots and supply depots as well as a/d of Ukraine is enough to stop counteroffensives as a priority target. Manpower like Ukr. conscript groupings dormitories etc. are not direct threats to Russian positions unless actively charging to breach Russian lines so it would be a good deescalation measure to put these types of targets as a reduced level of threat and focus on other targets.
Since the stronger side here is Russia they can make more flexible decisions to offer deescalation options towards Ukraine especially if some support and security guarantees are provided by their allies. If deescalation measures work I think this will turn Ukranian conflict to a local conflict first not involving whole of Ukraine and the threat level excuses put forward by war escalation supporters can be reduced considerably. Then a negotiation option can emerge for both sides again where 4 regions returning back to Ukraine in a process without a war which can be negotiated with a new Minsk 2 type of agreement imporving its flaws and giving both sides security guarantees. Otherwise this escalation spiral will continue for the worse as everyone guesses.
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