IWPR
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, few predicted that some of the war’s most dramatic moments would involve small, buzzing machines that you could once buy at any electronics store.
Yet here we are, watching Ukraine use everything from repurposed hobby drones that some people used to film weddings and other family occasions, to sophisticated military UAVs that strike targets deep inside Russia, fundamentally changing how wars are fought.
When you are fighting a war of survival, and your enemy outnumbers you in both military personnel and hardware,
you are forced to get creative. Ukraine’s drone warfare capabilities have evolved from improvised solutions to a comprehensive strategic weapons system that challenges traditional military paradigms.
The transformation has been remarkable. Early in the war, Ukrainian troops were using off-the-shelf quadcopters, mainly for scouting enemy positions. Now, both the armed forces and Ukraine’s intelligence services (SBU) are launching coordinated attacks on Russian airbases, oil refineries and military installations far from the battlefield.
Operation Spiderweb, the June 1, 2025 covert strike in which nearly 120 drones targeted five Russian air bases, was a demonstration of the possible scale of such operations.
This isn’t just about dropping bombs anymore; it’s about projecting power across vast distances, despite being the smaller military force.
The impact on morale extends beyond the battlefield – successful drone strikes against previously “untouchable” targets within Russia have demonstrated Ukrainian capabilities and influenced Russian public opinion about both the trajectory of the war and its costs.
These attacks have also brought the war home to ordinary Russians, showing them that their country is not as invulnerable as their leaders claim.
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