Zelenskyy's Operation Spiderweb: Brilliant But Reckless

Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, which destroyed around 30% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet—apparently 41 aircraft—will go down in the history books as one of the most ambitious and audaciously executed military plans ever.

- JOYEETA BASU

It was possible for Ukraine to target five key air bases housing these nuclear weapons-carrying aircraft deep inside Russia by launching the drones from close proximity.

In the process, Ukraine caught the mighty Russian military machine off guard and dealt a body blow to Russia's nuclear deterrence. That Ukraine was able to smuggle in, or assemble, the drones and transport them hidden in trucks and operate them remotely, right under the nose of the Russian intelligence, tells a story of meticulous planning that went on for 18 months. With Ukraine not having the ability to breach Russia's air defences, the only way they could dent its nuclear triad was to launch the attack from deep inside, thus neutralising the safety of distance that the Russian bases enjoyed.

And that's what the Ukrainians did. A complex military and intelligence operation, the Ukrainians, however, achieved a spectacular success at a very low cost, as drones are a cheap military option, but can cause brutal damage if deployed tactically. The operation also reminded the world of the changing nature of modern warfare, where a combination of drones and projectiles such as missiles and rockets can deal devastating blows to the adversary, as India did to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.