On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) pulled off a drone strike so audacious, it left even seasoned analysts in Washington’s corridors buzzing. The operation targeted Russian airbases thousands of kilometers from the front lines, shattering assumptions about reach and vulnerability in modern warfare.
The preparation for this strike was nothing short of meticulous. President Volodymyr Zelensky personally supervised the planning, which spanned 18 months and 9 days—a fact confirmed by both Ukrainian and Western officials. “Planning, organization, every detail was perfectly executed,” Zelensky said, calling it “an absolutely unique operation.” SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk and his team orchestrated the logistics, moving 117 armed drones into Russia, hidden in modified trucks with remote-controlled launch roofs. These trucks, as later confirmed by Russian truck drivers themselves, blended into the civilian traffic, evading suspicion until the moment of attack.
The drones struck five airbases—Belaya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Olenya, and Ukrainka—across five Russian oblasts and time zones. The Belaya base, in Eastern Siberia, sits over 4,300 kilometers from Ukraine. That’s a distance few thought could be breached by Ukrainian assets. The drones, equipped with AI targeting, homed in on fuel tanks and critical aircraft components, maximizing the damage. According to Ukrainian claims, 41 Russian aircraft were damaged or destroyed, including strategic bombers like the Tu-22M3 and Tu-95, and the A-50 AWACS radar planes. That’s roughly a third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers—an estimate echoed by independent defense analysts and reported by multiple outlets.
The operation’s aftermath was chaotic. Russian authorities launched sweeping truck inspections and terrorism investigations, causing traffic jams in Irkutsk and other regions. A warehouse in Chelyabinsk was raided after being identified as a drone assembly point. Russian officials confirmed the attack but downplayed the scale, while Western intelligence sources corroborated the Ukrainian narrative on the operation’s reach and complexity. The United States, notably, was not informed in advance—a rare break in wartime intelligence sharing.
What stands out, even after years on the Hill, is the operation’s blend of old-school espionage and new-era technology. Using civilian logistics—trucks, warehouses, unwitting drivers—Ukraine’s SBU turned Russia’s own infrastructure into a vulnerability. The drones’ AI-driven targeting, launched from within Russian territory, sidestepped Moscow’s layered air defenses. One aviation expert told ABC, “If it was indeed 40 planes, then it’s basically half of Russia’s strategic aviation fleet capable of carrying out combat missions”.
The financial toll is staggering. Damage estimates hover around $7 billion, a figure that represents a significant chunk of Russia’s annual defense budget. But the strategic impact is even greater. With a third of its long-range bomber fleet hit, Russia’s ability to launch missile strikes from the air has been sharply curtailed. The loss of A-50 radar planes further erodes battlefield awareness, exposing new gaps in Russian air defense.
This attack didn’t happen in a vacuum. It landed just as peace talks were set to resume in Istanbul, raising the stakes for both sides. Moscow’s delegation arrived under a cloud, and Kyiv’s confidence was unmistakable. Zelensky’s message to his people was blunt: “Very tangible losses by Russia and absolutely just losses which they deserved”.
This wasn’t just another strike; it was a masterclass in modern hybrid warfare. The message from Kyiv was clear: distance is no longer a shield, and innovation can upend even the most entrenched military doctrines. As a journalist who’s watched many chapters of this war unfold, I can say this operation will be studied for years by strategists, policymakers, and, yes, by those of us who try to make sense of history as it happens.
