Operation Spiderweb – The Terrifying Evolution of Modern Warfare

On 1 June, Ukraine carried out an “unprecedented and unique” operation against Russia. Codenamed “Operation Spiderweb,” the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) delivered a strategic blow to Putin’s war machine. 

During the operation, which had been planned for 18 months, Ukrainian operatives shipped first-person-view (FPV) drones in trucks resembling wooden cabins to Russia. These trucks drove to locations near major Russian airbases, including the cities of Ivanovo and Ryazan, as well as the regions of Murmansk, Irkutsk, and Amur, allowing the drones to strike Russian warplanes at Belaya, Olenya, Dyagelivo, and Ivanovo airbases. The drones were launched remotely and commanded by drone pilots in Ukraine. According to the SSU, 41 Russian aircraft were damaged, including some of Russia’s assets from its nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet, such as Tu-95s and Tu-160s. 

Historian A.J.P. Taylor once remarked that “war has always been the mother of invention”. But how drones are now being used by both Ukraine and Russia exposes an interesting paradox enveloping the future of warfare. Military technology appears to have come full circle, transitioning from expensive, high-tech equipment being paramount to success in conflict to simple technology becoming the most effective. 

Operation Spiderweb underscores how relatively simple, low-cost technology can deliver strategic surprises once thought to be the province of high-end weaponry. Russia’s long-standing doctrine of deterrence, rooted in its nuclear-capable strategic bombers, has been punctured, not by missiles or jets, but by mass-produced drones and tactical subterfuge. 

Operation Spiderweb is part of a wider shift that has been going on since the conflict began in Ukraine in February 2022. Drones were previously a minuscule aspect of Russia’s and Ukraine’s military capabilities: Ukraine, for example, produced only a few thousand FPV drones in 2022. In 2023, this had risen to 600,000, before ballooning to over 2.2 million in 2024.

Russia, too, has accelerated its drone programs, including the deployment of fibre-optic tethered drones, which offer resistance to electronic jamming by maintaining control via physical cables rather than radio waves – perhaps a further devolution of technology. These fibre-optic Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provide Russian forces with an advantage in contested electronic warfare environments, allowing them to conduct reconnaissance and precision strikes with reduced risk of losing control, despite a more limited operational range compared to untethered drones. This style of drone is now widely used, and Russia has reportedly managed to boost their range up to 40 kilometres. 

The impact of this drone proliferation is staggering. In May 2024 alone, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck around 89,000 Russian targets, and are now responsible for over 80% of Russian frontline losses. These figures challenge traditional notions of military power, shifting emphasis from expensive hardware to technological ingenuity and mass deployment. 

The future of warfare, therefore, is no longer confined to expensive tanks or advanced fighter jets but will include swarms of drones operated remotely by military personnel thousands of miles from the front line. 

However, this shift comes with potentially serious consequences. The widespread use of drones lowers the threshold for conflict, increases the risk of escalation, and poses new challenges for civilian safety and global security. It also forces militaries worldwide to rethink their defence strategies, emphasising rapid adaptation, electronic warfare capabilities, and counter-drone technologies.

Operation Spiderweb was not just a tactical success; it was a strategic revelation. It demonstrated that in the modern era, dominance can be achieved not only through technological sophistication but through the clever and mass application of relatively simple tools. The battlefield of the future hums with the whir of countless drone propellers – small, cheap, and deadly weapons, reshaping how wars are fought and won.

It should also be noted that the implications of this transformation extend far beyond Ukraine. The drone revolution is altering the global military landscape in profound and irreversible ways. As the costs of effective weaponry plummet and the barriers to entry dissolve, smaller nations that have been unable to contend with the technology needed to make any impact in conventional warfare now find themselves with a potential equaliser. A modest defence budget can now provide a nation with capabilities that were once exclusive to military superpowers. Furthermore, the world is entering an era where the monopoly on airpower is eroding. No longer do states need stealth bombers or aircraft carriers to project force; an effective drone program and some ingenuity can suffice.

There is also a dark side when musing about where the emergence of drone warfare might lead, too. The combination of high accessibility and lethal impact that drones can provide could also make them ideal weapons for bleaker causes like non-state actors, militias, and terrorist groups. The same FPV drones that struck Russian strategic bombers could, with minimal modification, be used to target civilian airports, nuclear facilities, or political leaders. The internet already hosts marketplaces for components, tutorials, and tactics. Groups with no access to state resources can now field weapons with a destabilising effect.

This shift blurs the lines between war and peace, soldier and civilian, battlefield and homeland. It challenges existing laws of armed conflict and overwhelms conventional defence planning. The world has long grappled with the proliferation of small arms and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Now it must contend with a future of ubiquitous, intelligent, self-guided weapons: flying IEDs that can strike almost anywhere with the right execution.

In the wake of Operation Spiderweb, the message is clear: the future of war is no longer built in defence factories or measured in aircraft tonnage. It is assembled on kitchen tables, piloted from basements, and mass-produced in industrial parks with 3D printers and open-source code. Power is becoming flatter, and with it, the risks are growing sharper.

Nations must adapt, and quickly. They must not only build effective drone and counter-drone systems, but also rethink what military power, deterrence, and security mean. Operation Spiderweb marks another milestone in the evolution of global conflict rules.

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion