Ukraine Strikes Back at Russia with An Audacious Drone Strike
According to multiple news outlets and Axios called Operation Spider Web, on June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s SBU (Ukraine’s Security Services), under the cover of darkness and using semi-trucks strategically positioned near multiple Russian Air Force bases across the country, launched dozens of drones against Russian strategic bombers.
Air force base locations varied from as far north as Murmansk and as far east as Siberia. More than forty strategic bombers were damaged past the point of repair, causing an estimated $2 billion in damage to the Russian military. The bombers targeted were the same ones that had been used against Ukraine in the past week. The Trump Administration was alerted ahead of the attack.
Ukraine’s ability to sabotage and strike deep into the heart of Russia has improved exponentially since the Russian invasion three years ago. Nothing like this kind of audaciousness has happened since the Kerch bridge in 2023.
According to the Georgetown Security Studies Review from May 15, 2025, over the past three years has undergone a transformation. At the onset of the invasion, Ukraine relied on Chinese drones. Today, Ukraine manufactures a variety of drones: aerial and naval drones, including First Person View (FPV), bomber, interceptor, kamikaze, reconnaissance, and long-range deep-strike drones. In 2023, Ukraine produced 600,000 FPV bombers, in 2024, 2.2 million FPV bombers, and is estimated to produce 4.5 million in 2025.
This has transformed Ukraine into the world’s largest producer of tactical and long-range unscrewed vehicles. Hundreds of new Ukrainian companies have entered the defense tech industry to produce unscrewed vehicles. According to the same study, Ukrainian drones have gone from a 30% success rate in 2022 to a 70% success rate in 2024. Critical to Ukraine’s success will be the use of fiber optic and AI-guided drones. The Ukrainian government is now positioning the country as a future Silicon Valley of defense technology, attracting international developers, innovators, and investors. The recent $5 billion investment announcement from Germany is one example.
Advancements in drone technology will be essential for any modern warfare and cannot be lost on the United States as we contend with current conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and a potential future clash with China in Asia. The United States will require advanced drones as part of our basket of armaments for the future. As such, it will be critical for the United States to collaborate with Ukraine on co-developing the next generation of drone technology to ready ourselves for any future conflict. By continuing to support Ukraine with money and arms, the United States will ensure the sovereignty of a strategic ally that, with collaboration, can help ensure the security of the United States.