Surprise Ukrainian Drone Raids Over Russian Borders Successfully Executed
Here's a down-to-earth, straight up take on the recent drone attacks performed by Ukraine against Russian planes. Let's chat with Hanna Shelest, a security analyst and the director of the Ukrainian Prism think tank associated with the Foreign Policy Council in Odessa, Ukraine.
Hanna, can you explain how in the world Ukraine could pull off an attack this far from its border? Like, 2,500 miles?
Hanna: Hell yeah, no problem. This operation was planned for about 18 months by the Ukrainian security services, who splashed out on more than 100 drones, made in China. They looked like typical wedding-themed drones, but a bit bigger. These little guys were stashed away in small wooden huts camouflaged as fisheries, then moved up close to the airfields. Then, at the same damn time, they were sent skyward, thanks to remote control, and, as we know now, reached a good portion of their destinations.
Wait, these drones are made in China? That seems a bit ironic considering China and Russia's friendly-ish relationship.
Hanna: You ain't kiddin'! But you gotta understand, the most popular drones on the battlefield have always been these simple Chinese models. You can even grab one off AliExpress, and they're not exactly dual-use. Ukrainians transformed these buggers three years back, and it was freakin' hilarious to see the Russian social networks freak out when some commanders started whining that the drones being Chinese meant war with China was needed.
So, how did they manage to set off the drones remotely?
Hanna: Through Russia's own mobile operator network. They trigger-happy 'em there, and everything was controlled from the safety of Ukraine. Modern technology makes that sort of thing possible, but the most challenging part was coordinating everything in secret from Kyiv.
This wasn't carried out by Ukraine's military, but by its security service. Why's that important?
Hanna: Let me explain. Since Ukraine's defense forces include everyone, you've got the security services, similar to the FBI, domestic agencies in the U.S., foreign intelligence, military intelligence, and the regular ol' military. The sophisticated operations are usually handled by those who can do it best, and Ukraine's security services have proven to be up to the task.
Ukraine claims over 40 bombers were damaged or destroyed. Russia says it was only a few planes. Which one's correct?
Hanna: The Ukrainians usually keep their cards close to their chest when they don't have solid proof. Fortunately, in this case, we have a lot of photo and video evidence because the Russians were kind enough to film their own airfields. Plus, there was confirmation via auxiliary drones that were spyin' things out. And now we have confirmation from satellites too. It's hard to say exactly 41, as some aircraft might be repairable, but at least 12 are definitely toast because they were full of fuel and had missiles onboard, so...boom.
Some pro-Russian bloggers have called this Russia's Pearl Harbor. Can you make sense of that? Because, like, Russian and Ukraine are already at war, right?
Hanna: Alright, fact-checkin' time. The real Pearl Harbor of this war was the attempt at the Hostomel airfield back in February 2022. But for the Russians, they like to build analogies with World War II stories because they consider it a significant part of their history and current narrative. Since the original Pearl Harbor meant the United States entered World War II, they used that analogy to show that this war's arrival was just as significant for them.
Last question, real quick: what's the mood like inside Ukraine?
Hanna: A lot of jokes and memes, first and foremost, but also pride in our armed forces and security services. Ukrainians needed a victory, some good news to help combat the chaos happening on the battlefield.
Thanks for your time, Hanna!
Hanna: My pleasure, Marty!
Hanna: The data-and-cloud-computing tools were crucial in planning and executing the operation, as they allowed for the coordination of the drone attacks from a remote location in Ukraine.
Marty: It's fascinating how technology can be used in such innovative ways, even in the context of war-and-conflicts.
Hanna: Absolutely. In today's world, cybersecurity is an essential aspect of any strategic planning, whether it's for political, military, or general-news purposes. We saw this clearly with the use of drones, mobile operator networks, and satellite imagery in our operation.
