In one of the most daring acts of asymmetric warfare in recent memory, Ukraine has struck deep inside Russian territory, targeting key military airbases in a sweeping drone assault being hailed in Kyiv as a turning point in the war.

Dubbed "Operation Spider's Web", the strike reportedly took 18 months to plan and execute. According to Ukrainian military sources, dozens of compact drones were covertly smuggled into Russia—hidden in freight trucks and strategically placed across vast distances—before being launched remotely toward high-value targets.

Though Ukraine claims the attacks caused up to $7 billion in damage, this figure remains unverified. Still, the operation has achieved something beyond numbers: a resounding psychological and strategic blow to Moscow, and a clear message to Ukraine’s skeptical allies.

Ukrainians are comparing this latest feat to previous high-profile operations, including the sinking of the Moskva warship and the bombing of the Kerch Bridge. But this latest strike, analysts suggest, may be the most sophisticated yet.

“This was no random hit-and-run,” said military analyst Serhii Kuzan. “We’re talking about strategic bombers, some of which are irreplaceable. Out of about 120 long-range bombers, Ukraine hit 40. That’s historic.”

The targeted aircraft—Tu-95, Tu-22, and the rare Tu-160 supersonic bombers—are no longer in production, according to defence observers. Even if not all were destroyed, damage to these airframes and command aircraft could cripple Russia’s long-range strike capacity for months, possibly years.

“Two Tu-160s were hit,” said Ukrainian blogger Oleksandr Kovalenko. “Those are like unicorns—irreplaceable assets in Russia’s air fleet.”

But beyond the airstrikes themselves lies a more layered message. As Ukraine prepares for the next round of ceasefire talks in Istanbul, Kyiv is signaling — not just to Moscow, but to Washington and Brussels — that it is still very much in the fight.

A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, told WafricNews that some U.S. officials appear to be negotiating as if Ukraine’s defeat is a foregone conclusion. “They act like their role now is to soften the terms of our surrender,” the source said. “But we don’t see ourselves as defeated — and we never agreed to be spoken for.”

Ukraine’s President Zelensky, once chastised for being overly optimistic, is now being praised even by critics for holding the line and leveraging Ukraine’s tech-driven warfare strategy.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), defence journalist Illia Ponomarenko mocked the doubters: “This is what happens when you tell a nation under siege it has no cards left to play.”

Another viral post from Business Ukraine magazine was more direct: “Turns out Ukraine does have some cards. Today, Zelensky played the King of Drones.”

This audacious strike comes at a time when Russia has been making slow gains in the Donbas. But Operation Spider’s Web has disrupted the narrative of Russian inevitability and Ukrainian exhaustion. It has also cast doubt on Western assumptions that Ukraine's military momentum has faded.

Whether or not these drone strikes lead to a tactical shift on the battlefield, they are already a major strategic win—an act of information warfare and resilience that demands renewed attention from the global powers involved in the conflict.