Ukraine proves innovation still rules battlefield

According to a recent piece, The Washington Post features that a century after Pearl Harbor stunned the world and changed naval warfare forever, Ukraine has pulled off a modern-day surprise attack that’s rewriting the rules of combat once again. With swarms of drones striking deep inside Russia, Kyiv has shown that in battles, innovation and boldness can challenge even the most powerful military forces.

On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy shocked the world by launching a daring attack on Pearl Harbor, striking what the US had called an “impregnable fortress.” Japanese aircraft from six carriers destroyed or damaged hundreds of planes and naval vessels, signaling the rise of aircraft carriers as dominant naval forces.

Ukraine has similarly rewritten the rules of warfare. In a surprise strike named Operation Spiderweb, Ukrainian forces targeted five Russian air bases deep inside Russia, including two thousands of miles away in Siberia and the Far North. Ukrainian intelligence covertly smuggled drones into Russian territory, launching them remotely to cripple Russian bombers used against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that roughly one-third of Russia’s long-range cruise missile bombers, including Tu-95s, Tu-22s, and A-50 early warning aircraft, were destroyed or disabled—though independent verification is pending. Russian military bloggers compared the strike to Pearl Harbor, a comparison highlighting how both events challenged dominant military technologies—battleships then, manned aircraft now. Ukrainian drone swarms, costing mere tens of thousands of dollars, may have inflicted billions in damage on Russia’s advanced planes.

This operation exposed a critical vulnerability: if drones can penetrate heavily guarded Russian bases, what stops similar strikes on US, Indian, or South Korean airfields? Militaries must now face the growing threat of low-cost, ubiquitous drones and invest heavily in counter-drone defences.

While Operation Spiderweb won’t end Russia’s military might, it reveals Ukraine’s resilience and adaptability in a protracted conflict. With drone production soaring—2.2 million last year and 4.5 million planned this year—Ukraine is compensating for manpower shortages and ammunition scarcities. This bold tactic counters dwindling Patriot missile supplies and signals Ukraine’s refusal to be defeated.

By Naila Huseynova