Long before missiles start flying, modern wars are often decided quietly, with planning, patience, and technology doing the heavy lifting.
That reality came into sharp focus after Ukraine carried out a bold drone operation that reached far beyond the battlefield, striking deep inside Russian territory and leaving a trail of destroyed aircraft and shaken military confidence.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep Inside Russia
Ukrainian drones have reportedly destroyed around $1 billion worth of Russian military aircraft in a coordinated series of attacks on airfields far behind the front lines.
The operation, known as Operation Spiderweb, targeted five different Russian military airbases, with dramatic footage showing drones slamming into parked aircraft.
Ukraine has not publicly confirmed the exact timing of the strikes.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), its elite Alpha unit was responsible for the operation, which knocked out 15 aircraft in total.
Fighter Jets, Helicopters, and Cargo Planes Lost
The SBU said the destroyed aircraft included 11 Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, three helicopters, and an Antonov An-26 cargo plane.
Among the jets were Su-30SM and Su-34 fighters, considered some of Russia’s most valuable frontline aircraft, alongside older Su-27 and Su-24 jets used in attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine also claimed to have destroyed MiG-31 interceptors, a critical part of Russia’s air defence network and a platform frequently used to launch Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
The loss of helicopters — a Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 — is expected to further strain Russian transport and logistics operations.
Beyond aircraft, Ukrainian officials said fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities were also hit during the strikes.
Part of a Bigger Campaign Against Russian Air Power
These latest attacks follow another major success by the same Alpha unit just weeks earlier, when Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed or disabled nearly $4 billion worth of Russian air defence systems.
That earlier operation reportedly damaged S-300, S-350, and S-400 missile launchers, as well as advanced radar installations.
Together, the strikes point to a clear Ukrainian strategy: weaken Russia’s ability to dominate the skies and limit its capacity to launch long-range missile attacks.
Echoes of Last Year’s Daring Operation Spiderweb
The recent attacks have drawn comparisons to last year’s Operation Spiderweb, a covert mission personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
That operation relied on hundreds of first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones smuggled into Russia inside wooden containers disguised as modular homes.
Unaware Russian truck drivers transported the containers close to key airbases.
Once parked, the roofs of the structures opened remotely, releasing swarms of drones that struck bombers sitting on the tarmac.
June 1 Strikes That Shocked Russia
On June 1, those drones hit multiple strategic airbases across Russia, including one deep in Siberia, roughly 2,600 miles from the Ukrainian front lines.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers later shared footage showing aircraft engulfed in flames.
Airbases reportedly hit included Olenya in the Arctic Murmansk region, Dyagilevo in western Russia, Ivanovo northeast of Moscow, and Podmoskovye near the Russian capital.
A Blow to Russia’s Strategic Bombers
Sources within Ukraine’s security services claimed that operation crippled around 34 per cent of Russia’s long-range strategic bomber fleet, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, both capable of carrying nuclear weapons and frequently used to fire cruise missiles at Ukraine.
Crucially, these aircraft are no longer manufactured, meaning losses cannot be easily replaced.
The SBU later stated that at least 41 long-range bombers were damaged or destroyed during the operation.
How the Drones Were Smuggled In
Images released by Ukrainian intelligence showed wooden containers packed with 117 FPV drones, lined up side-by-side inside mobile cabins.
Hidden roof compartments concealed the weapons, which were then loaded onto civilian trucks and driven into Russian territory.
Once all vehicles were within striking range of five airfields stretching from northern Russia to Siberia, the drones were launched almost simultaneously.
President Zelensky later praised the operation as “perfectly prepared,” claiming it was coordinated from a location close to an office of Russia’s Federal Security Service.
Celebration at the Front, Hardship at Home
While the military success gave Ukrainian intelligence plenty to celebrate, officials at home delivered a sobering warning.
A senior Ukrainian lawmaker said the next three weeks will be especially difficult for civilians as freezing temperatures collide with intensified Russian attacks on the energy system.
Millions of Ukrainians are already struggling with limited heat and electricity after repeated strikes on power infrastructure.
Freezing Weather and Power Shortages
Temperatures are expected to drop below -20°C in northern and eastern Ukraine, an unusually harsh cold spell.
Andriy Gerus, head of parliament’s energy committee, said conditions would be tough but urged citizens to hold on, noting that warmer weather and longer daylight hours should ease pressure in the coming weeks.
Recent missile and drone attacks on Kyiv alone left around one million people without electricity, with thousands of apartment buildings still lacking heating weeks later.
Similar scenes are playing out in cities across northern and eastern Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy.
Energy Infrastructure Remains a Key Target
Since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power stations, transmission lines, and gas facilities, openly stating its aim is to undermine Ukraine’s ability to fight.
Ukraine, in turn, has struck Russian oil processing facilities to reduce the revenues funding Moscow’s war effort.
Solar Power Offers Some Relief
Despite the damage, Ukraine has made notable progress in renewable energy.
The country added about 1.5 gigawatts of new solar capacity in 2025, pushing total installed solar power beyond 8.5 gigawatts — more than the combined capacity of Ukraine-controlled nuclear plants.
Solar energy helped bridge gaps during repairs last summer, though output remains heavily dependent on weather conditions.
An Energy System Under Severe Strain
President Zelensky recently said Ukraine’s energy system is currently meeting only 60 per cent of winter electricity demand, producing about 11 gigawatts against a national need of 18 gigawatts.
Emergency electricity imports from the European Union, along with rolling power cuts, are keeping the system stable for now.
But energy executives warn the country is edging toward a humanitarian crisis if attacks continue amid extreme cold.
What Comes Next?
Ukraine’s drone strikes have proven that Russia’s depth offers no guarantee of safety, reshaping assumptions about modern warfare.
Yet even as Ukraine demonstrates growing military reach, the battle at home — keeping lights on, homes warm, and civilians safe — remains just as critical.
The coming weeks will test not only military strategy, but also Ukraine’s resilience in the face of winter, infrastructure damage, and an escalating war with no clear end in sight.
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