Key Points – Nearly two weeks after Ukraine’s audacious “Operation Spiderweb” drone strike destroyed numerous Russian strategic bombers, Vladimir Putin’s promised retaliation has been limited to more “routine” drone and missile barrages, not a significant escalation.
-Putin is in a bind: a major, specific retaliation would force the Kremlin to publicly admit the humiliating success of the Ukrainian attack, which it has sought to deny.
-While Russian forces continue to make slow, grinding advances on the ground in regions like Sumy, Putin’s options for a spectacular response that restores his “strongman” image are narrowing, even as Ukraine continues its own strikes.
Putin Vows Revenge After Ukraine Drone Strike
Nearly two weeks after Ukraine’s audacious drone blitz dismantled a dozen Russian bombers deep within its territory, President Vladimir Putin has promised retaliation. But so far, the Kremlin’s bark has sounded louder than its bite.
Operation “Spiderweb”—an 18-month covert campaign masterminded by Ukraine’s SBU—unleashed swarms of drones from inside Russian territory, targeting strategic airfields and delivering one of the most humiliating blows to Moscow’s air power in over three years of war.
While Ukrainians celebrated a rare show of ingenuity and reach, fears of a massive Russian counterattack soon took hold.
Russia’s ‘Revenge’
Putin’s response? A flurry of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine last Thursday and again over the weekend. Moscow called it retaliation. Kyiv called it routine.
“If this is revenge,” one Kyiv resident told CNN, “we’ve been enduring it for years.”
Analysts agree. Russia has already been launching hundreds of drones daily—472 the day before Ukraine’s airbase strike, and 479 shortly after.
Kremlin Considers Missile Options
That’s precisely the bind Putin finds himself in. Escalating meaningfully would require either striking new targets or unveiling new weaponry. But state media has barely acknowledged the airbase humiliation, let alone telegraphed a response.
A high-profile retaliation, experts argue, would force the Kremlin to admit that Ukraine landed a serious blow—something it is desperate to deny.
Behind closed doors, some in Putin’s camp have reportedly floated using the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile. Others suggested targeting Ukraine’s security services directly. But even those plans come with limitations.
The Oreshnik is unreliable and inaccurate, and the SBU’s infrastructure has already moved deep underground.
Russia Makes Gains on the Ground in Ukraine
Still, Ukraine isn’t resting. Days after the Spiderweb success, its forces attempted another strike on the Crimean Bridge. While the damage was minimal, the symbolism was loud: nowhere is truly safe from Ukrainian reach.
On the battlefield, however, Russia still holds the edge. It continues to advance in Sumy and now claims a foothold in Dnipropetrovsk, something Kyiv denies. Moscow’s tactics may be thuggish, as one analyst put it, but they are relentless—and effective over time.
What happens next depends on whether Ukraine has more “Spiderwebs” in the works. If so, Putin will be under increasing pressure to deliver a retaliation that is not just bigger, but fundamentally different.
So far, his war machine continues to churn—but his options for spectacle and deterrence are narrowing. The strongman image is harder to uphold when your bombers are in flames and your enemy is thinking a year ahead.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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