Key Points and Summary – If the early years of the war cast Ukraine as a nation under siege, its current strategy shows a country willing to go on the offensive.
-From a daring, multi-base drone raid dubbed “Operation Spiderweb” that damaged strategic bombers, to a temporary seizure of Russian territory in Kursk, and even a strike on a nuclear power plant, Kyiv’s attacks are growing bolder.
-This new phase of the war aims to raise the economic and political costs for Moscow and demonstrate to the West that Russia’s perceived invulnerability is a myth.
Ukraine’s Attacks On Russia Are Getting Bolder
Ukraine’s recent Independence Day was marked not merely by parades and speeches but by the fallout from one of Kyiv’s boldest operations yet.
Moscow accused Ukrainian forces of sending dozens of drones into the Kursk nuclear power plant complex, sparking a fire and halving the capacity of one reactor. As usual, Kyiv did not publicly confirm that they were behind the attack.
Still, attacks that are clearly masterminded by Ukraine are getting bolder.
One of the most ambitious missions, dubbed Operation Spiderweb, unfolded in June. After more than a year of planning, Ukrainian security services unleashed 117 drones on Russia’s long-range aviation bases, ranging from the Moscow region to far-flung Siberia.
Concealed inside trucks on Russian territory, the drones managed to evade Moscow’s defences and cause confirmed damage. Even U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly described the attack as “bad***”.
Equally symbolic was Ukraine’s temporary seizure of territory in the Kursk region last year. Kyiv’s forces advanced across the border to capture 28 settlements, holding roughly 1,000 square kilometres before being pushed back by a counteroffensive.
Though the advance later stalled, the episode punctured Moscow’s claim of territorial invulnerability.
Mission Moscow
Perhaps the most disruptive to ordinary Russians have been drone strikes against Moscow’s airports.
In July alone, more than 140 flights were cancelled, with the defence ministry admitting it had intercepted over 230 drones nationwide. Independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that airports were forced to suspend operations 217 times in the first five months of 2025.
This amounts to more than double the total closures recorded in 2023 and 2024 combined.
Ukraine Can Fight
Orysia Lutsevych of the Chatham House think tank told the Independent that Ukraine has forged “one of the best combat-ready armies in Europe”, blending low-cost drone innovation with Soviet-era missile expertise.
The recent unveiling of the domestically built “Flamingo” cruise missile, capable of carrying a one-tonne warhead 3,000 kilometres into Russia, illustrates the point.
For Kyiv, the goal is twofold: to show Western backers, including Trump, that Russia can be defeated, and to raise the economic and political cost of the war for Moscow. “Russians say they can fight forever. That is not the case,” Lutsevych noted, pointing to mounting financial strain.
The early years of the conflict cast Ukraine as a nation under siege. Its current strategy suggests a country increasingly willing to go on the offensive in new and inventive ways, hoping to remind Russia that its own soil is at risk in this brutal war.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
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. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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