LESSONS FROM THE SPIDERWEB

Drone warfare expert and former Australian Army officer Mick Ryan explains what Ukraine's audacious drone operation mean for the future of war, and how Western militaries should respond

- LOUIS HARDIMAN

On 1 June 2025, explosions rocked five Long-Range Aviation bases inside five Russia oblasts in Ukraine's largest and most impressive operation so far against Russian airfields. Operation Spiderweb used 117 quadcopter drones, each carrying a 7lb (3.2 kg) payload, deployed from lorry-hauled containers with false roofs and operated from Ukraine. "That was innovative," says Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian Army who now serves on the Strategic Advisory Board for a leading military drone manufacturer. Volodymyr Zelenskyy later claimed the drones had destroyed or badly damaged 34 percent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers. Notable casualties include Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M strategic bombers.

The impact of the operation on the negotiating table and the battlefield remains unclear. "It may have some military impact," says Ryan. "There will be fewer bombers that the Russians will have available to launch long-range precision missiles. These missiles are harder to intercept and have larger warheads. The negative impact is yet to be seen. It could reinforce Putin's determination to continue the war."