Ukraine has been making waves with its clever use of drones. They have been targeting Russian military bases far from the front lines. One such base is Engels, a big air force base in southern Russia. This base is about 300 miles away from the fighting in Ukraine. The Ukrainians hit this base with drones at night. The explosions were so big that they damaged homes nearby. This was not a one-time thing. It was the third attack in just 10 weeks. The goal? To hit the bombs and missiles before they can be used against Ukraine.

The Ukrainians are using a smart strategy. They call it "getting left of the boom. " It is like trying to stop a problem before it starts. In the past, the U. S. Army used this tactic in Iraq and Afghanistan. They would find and stop the people making roadside bombs. Now, Ukraine is doing something similar. They are hitting Russian drone factories, ammo stores, and even fuel depots. All of these are far from the battle zone. The idea is to stop the bombs and missiles before they can be launched at Ukrainian cities.

One of these strikes happened near Moscow. Ukrainian drones hit a secret drone factory. This was about 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. Another strike happened even further east, in a place called Yelabuga. The Ukrainians used a small sport plane drone for this attack. These strikes show that Ukraine is thinking outside the box. They are not just defending. They are taking the fight to the enemy.

But why is this working? The Russian air defenses are not doing their job. They are not stopping these small drones. A drone was even spotted flying over Saratov, near the Engels base. It was not bothered at all. This is a big problem for Russia. It shows that their defenses are not good enough. They need to step up their game.

Ukraine does not have many air-defense missiles. They only have a few Patriot and SAMP/T batteries. These are not enough to protect all their cities. So, they have to hit the Russian bombers' fuel and ammo stores. But these drone raids only work if Russia's air defenses fail. It is a tricky situation. Ukraine is doing what it can with what it has. They are fighting smart, not just hard. This is a critical look at the situation. Ukraine is using drones to hit Russian bases far from the front lines. They are trying to stop the bombs before they can be used. But Russia needs to improve its air defenses. Otherwise, these drone raids will keep happening.

Ukraine's Strategic Drone Strikes on Russian Bases

Actions