Ukraine has used the small, the smart and the many to damage or destroy Russian high value targets that cannot easily be replaced. ⬇️
Operation Spiderweb was a combination of classic spycraft and special operations and once again demonstrated the utility of drones to render exquisite platforms vulnerable. It was a high low mix of sorts – they used low to destroy the high! The Guardian has a great summary of the attack including plenty of footage and imagery that we’ll include in the comments:
“A Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed billions of dollars worth of Russian aircraft stationed at bases across the country, including at locations as far away as Siberia, in what Kyiv claims is its longest-range assault of the war. The spectacular operation, known as Spiderweb, was prepared in secret over 18 months. Ukraine’s agents moved short-range drones and explosives inside Russia before they were launched remotely for a coordinated strike on Sunday that was intended to strike at Moscow’s air superiority.”
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has a good summary of Ukraine’s asymmetric warfare capability and a breakdown of the high end Russian strategic bombers that were targeted:
“The success of Spider’s Web highlights a dramatic shift in the balance of initiative. Ukraine demonstrated the ability to execute a coordinated, multi-theater deep-strike operation, far beyond its borders, using fully indigenous systems and asymmetric tactics—blending deception, precision, and strategic surprise.”
For the moment many are indulging in a bit of military schadenfreude courtesy of Ukraine’s excellent information operations supporting this operation. But the West should not think that somehow our own national security assets and critical infrastructure is not just as vulnerable to this type of attack. As Air and Space Power Centre Fellow, Keirin Joyce, GAICD, CPEng pointed out on X:
“Imagine Operation Maritime Spiderweb: cargo ship heading south down the east Coast of Australia towards Sydney. As the ship passes Williamtown (our main fighter base), container roofs open and launch their drones. From 20 km offshore that’s 8 – 10 minutes until they’re overhead of Australian Joint Strike Fighters.”
Defenceless military infrastructure and critical assets are a unipolar moment indulgence. Time to get hardening – security of critical infrastructure isn’t exclusive to the cyber domain!
🖼️ via The Guardian, links to the Guardian article, CSIS article and Keirin Joyce’s X post in the comments.