SINGAPORE: Ukraine has held out against a stronger adversary for more than three years, thanks to its ability to wage asymmetric warfare. Even so, the drone attack deep inside Russia on Sunday (Jun 1) was particularly audacious. Multiple drone swarms launched from container trucks hit four airbases thousands of kilometres from the frontlines and destroyed several Russian long-range bombers.

For some, it was a "genius" move; for others, it confirms a nightmare scenario. Ukraine’s Operation Spider's Web is a classic example of how technology has rewritten the playbook of war, and how long-range strikes into enemy territory can be conducted cheaply and quietly with disproportionate results. Beyond Russia, the attack would have sent reverberations among defence planners around the world.

For some time now, even though some analysts have warned that something like this was not beyond the realm of possibility given the technology already available, it would have undoubtedly been a shock to see it put into practice so successfully and on such a scale. Everyone and their valuable military assets can be vulnerable to such threats.