Description

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Context:

Ukraine executed Operation Spider’s Web, its largest drone offensive, destroying $7 billion worth of Russian aircraft.

About Operation Spider’s Web

Attribute	Details
Type of Operation	High-risk, long-range drone offensive
Executing Nation	Ukraine (Security Service of Ukraine - SBU)
Target Nation	Russia
Objective	To damage strategic Russian airpower (bombers, surveillance aircraft) and display Ukraine’s deep-strike capacity as a negotiation tool before peace talks.
Duration of Planning	18 months
Key Military Strategy	Use of explosive-laden drones launched from civilian trucks disguised in wooden sheds (Trojan Horse-style deployment)
Number of Drones Used	117 drones
Major Airbases Attacked	- Belaya (Irkutsk) - Olenya (Murmansk) - Diagilevo (Ryazan) - Ivanovo Severny - Ukuranka
Drone Launch Technique	Drones were hidden and transported near airbases using civilian vehicles, launched from close proximity inside Russian territory
Symbolic Timing	Attack launched hours before Russia’s Iskander missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk
Strategic Significance	Demonstrated Ukraine’s reach and technological innovation; sought to tilt peace negotiations by showing offensive depth
Result	Damage to strategic bomber fleet; showcased Ukraine's unconventional warfare capabilities

Source: Indian Express

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Examine the strategic significance of Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web drone offensive against Russian airbases. How does this operation reflect modern unconventional warfare and its impact on peace negotiations? (150 words)