Andrew Latham
Key Points – Ukraine’s recent “Operation Spiderweb” drone strikes deep into Russia, targeting strategic bomber bases, are characterized as “pure theatre” and strategically meaningless despite generating significant media attention.
-The targeted bombers (Tu-95s, Tu-22m) play a peripheral role in the current conflict, primarily launching occasional cruise missiles.
-These symbolic attacks do not alter the fundamental battlefield reality where Russian forces continue to make slow, methodical advances in key areas like Donbas, pursuing limited objectives through a war of attrition.
-Russia, worried, but undeterred by these strikes, remains focused on consolidating its gains, while Ukraine’s reliance on such actions suggests a shift towards optics over substantive military outcomes.
Drone Hits on Russian Bombers: Why It’s ‘Theatre,’ Not a Turning Point
It looked, for a moment, like a bold stroke – swarms of Ukrainian drones reaching deep into Russian territory, airfields in flames, and long-range bombers reportedly damaged or destroyed.
The name, “Operation Spiderweb,” had a cinematic flair to it. Kyiv’s information operation moved quickly, amplifying every explosion, every flicker of fire in the dark. The message was clear: Ukraine still has reach, still has nerve, still has initiative. But the truth is simpler and far less dramatic. The strikes were pure theatre – brash, attention-grabbing, and strategically meaningless. The bombers hit at Shaykovka, Engels, or wherever else aren’t relevant to the outcome of this war. And Russia, far from being shaken, continues to grind forward in the places that matter.
Let’s start with the targets. The Tu-95s and Tu-22ms – big, lumbering remnants of a bygone era—have played next to no operational role in this war. They aren’t frontline assets. They aren’t shaping the tempo or direction of Russia’s offensive.
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