Ukraine Strikes on Russian Air Base Show How Drones Have Changed Modern Warfare

Kyiv’s successful drone attack on Moscow’s nuclear bomber fleet demonstrates the power of cheaper, commercial-first technologies in war.

A truck said to have been used to release Ukrainian drones is on fire in the Irkutsk region of Russia, more than 2,500 miles from Ukraine, in a photo released by the Telegram channel of Igor Kobzev, governor of the Irkutsk region, on June 1, 2025. Governor of Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev's Telegram channel via AP

A long-range Ukrainian attack on multiple strategic air bases throughout Russia could have profound significance for ongoing cease-fire negotiations and the trajectory of the war.

The Ukrainian drone attack on June 1 presents the most far-reaching assault on Russian territory to date and may have caused billions of dollars in damage to Russia’s nuclear bomber fleet.