Beneath stress on the battlefield, Ukraine turns to drones to harm Russia

A serviceman from the cell air defence unit of the a hundred and fifteenth Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fires a Browning machine gun in direction of a Russian drone throughout an in a single day shift, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kharkiv Area, Ukraine, June 2, 2025.
| Picture Credit score: REUTERS

Ukraine carried out its largest drone assault inside Russia on Sunday, concentrating on a minimum of 4 army airports in 4 totally different areas (throughout 4 time zones) on this planet’s largest nation. Unnamed officers of the Safety Providers of Ukraine (SBU), the nation’s spy company, have claimed that the assaults “destroyed” greater than 40 Russian warplanes, together with strategic bombers that may carry nuclear missiles, inflicting damages amounting to $7 billion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a social media submit that the assault, which adopted a Russian strike at a army coaching base in Ukraine, killing a minimum of 12 troopers, produced “a completely good consequence”.

Whereas the Ukrainian claims of destroying Russian strategic bombers are usually not independently confirmed, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that 5 areas got here below drone assaults and that a number of plane in two bases, one near the border with Norway and the opposite in Siberia, “caught fireplace”. It mentioned the fireplace was extinguished, different assaults have been repelled and that there have been no casualties. Russia additionally noticed two bridges collapse in Kursk and Bryansk areas, each near the Ukrainian border, killing a minimum of seven individuals and wounding 76 others. Russian officers say explosives have been used to destroy the bridges. All this occurred when Russian and Ukrainian officers have been making ready to take a seat collectively for direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.

Airfields hit

In response to Ukrainian claims, the 4 areas that have been attacked are: Ryazan, Ivanov, Murmansk, and Irkutsk. The Olenya air base in Murmansk, near the Norwegian border, is round 1,900 km from the frontline. Belaya airbase within the Siberian area of Irkutsk is 4,300 km away from Ukraine. Russian officers mentioned Amur, near the Chinese language border, additionally got here below assault, which was repelled. The assaults on these bases show Ukraine’s rising functionality to hit deep inside Russia utilizing low-cost drones and innovate techniques, almost definitely involving undercover operatives.

Per the Ukrainian model, the assault was within the plans for about one and a half years. SBU officers say Ukraine had secretly transported ‘first-person view’ drones (FPVs transmit a stay video feed from their entrance digicam to a pilot’s display screen) into Russian territory on vehicles. Drones have been stored in picket containers on vehicles, which have been moved nearer to the targets undetected. On Sunday, the picket containers have been opened remotely, and the FPV drones, connected with explosives, have been launched into the airfields. The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed that the drones that hit Olenya and Belaya have been launched “from the quick neighborhood” of the airfields. Mr. Zelenskyy wrote in his social media submit that “our individuals concerned in making ready the Operation have been withdrawn from Russian territory in time”.

New guidelines

This seeks to rewrite the principles of warfare. Historically, international locations attempt to assault faraway enemy bases utilizing surface-to-surface or air-to-surface long-range missiles. Ukraine lacks the capability to mount such an aerial assault towards Russia. So it turned to drones, which it was manufacturing at an industrial scale ever for the reason that warfare broke out in February 2022. Ukraine claimed to have made 2.2 million drones in 2024, and goals to make 4.5 million this 12 months. Drones play the central position in Ukraine’s counterattack technique.

Among the many planes that have been “destroyed” are Russian Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and A-50, based on the SBU. The Tu-95 bombers, which carry guided cruise missiles, can hit targets from 1000’s of kilometres afar. The A-50 are early warning jets that detect enemy plane and missiles, and feed intel on Russian fighter planes. “Russian strategic bombers are all burning delightfully,” claimed Vasily Malyuk, the SBU chief, after the assault. Russia’s fleet of strategic bombers is reportedly small — it operates lower than 90 Tu-22s, Tu-95s and Tu-160s. (Tu-160 is Russia’s most superior strategic bomber). If Ukraine’s claims of destroying some “30%” of Russian bombers are true, it’s a heavy blow to President Vladimir Putin and his forces.

Even when Ukraine is exaggerating Russia’s losses, the truth that it carried out such an enormous assault deep inside Russian territory could be seen as a tactical setback for Moscow. If Ukraine have been planning such an elaborate assault for months, there can be questions on why the Russian intelligence did not detect and deter them.

Russia’s army bloggers have been fast to time period June 1 a “darkish day” within the historical past of Russian aviation. Some others, particularly the nationalist sections, referred to as it “Russia’s Pearl Harbour” and demanded the same response from the Kremlin to that of the U.S. throughout the Second World Warfare. Mr. Putin, who has confronted criticism at residence from the nationalist sections for “not doing sufficient” within the warfare, is more likely to come below larger stress to retaliate closely.

Battlefield vulnerabilities

However the Ukrainian assault doesn’t masks the nation’s battlefield vulnerabilities. Russia has launched a Spring offensive within the Sumy area, the place its forces are making incremental advances. The Russian military took 507 sq km in Could, towards 379 sq. km in April and 240 sq. km in March, based on knowledge from the U.S.-based Institute for the Examine of Warfare. From June 2024 to Could 2025, Russia gained a complete of 5,107 sq. km (lower than one per cent of Ukrainian territory earlier than the warfare), whereas Ukrainian forces solely regained 85 sq. km. Ukraine has not taken any main territorial beneficial properties since its Kherson offensive in late 2022. It’s a big gamble in Russia’s Kursk area failed as Russia captured swathes of territories in Ukraine’s east final 12 months after which pushed Ukrainian troops out of Kursk with assist from North Korea. In latest months, Russia has stepped up air strikes and drone assaults throughout Ukraine, straining the nation’s already weak air defences. However regardless of the weaknesses on the bottom, Kyiv stays defiant and audacious as the newest assault exhibits.

What’s to be seen is how the Ukrainian assaults are going to influence U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to finish the warfare. When Russia carried out drone assaults in Ukraine late final month, Mr. Trump had mentioned “Putin had gone completely loopy” and that “Putin is taking part in with fireplace”. However on his watch, Ukraine, America’s ally, has carried out its most formidable assault on Russia, that too on the eve of peace talks. The Istanbul talks are set to proceed as per plans. Each the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are in Turkiye. However the Russian response to the Ukrainian assault is nearly assured, which might additional complicate the diplomatic course of.