'Trojan Horse', 'Pearl Harbour': Decoding Terms Used For Ukraine’s Drone Attack On Russia

Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 17:48 IST

Ukraine launched a daring drone strike over 4,000 km from the border deep inside Russia, targeting five Russian airbases and damaging 41 nuclear bombers and warplanes.

Visuals of Ukraine's drone attack on Russia. (Reuters)

On June 1, Ukrainian forces launched one of the most audacious drone operations in modern military history, targeting multiple Russian airbases across 4,000 km of hostile territory. The attack took place on the eve of US-brokered ceasefire talks between the two countries in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out ‘Operation Spider’s Web‘, using first-person-view (FPV) drones, which were reportedly hidden inside makeshift wooden cabins and mounted on trucks that were parked near major military airbases. They were remotely triggered, damaging at least 41 Russian heavy bombers and other warplanes.

The daring attack on Russian military aircraft has led to comparisons with ‘Pearl Harbour’ and ‘Russian Trojan Horse’. Ukraine claimed the attack caused $7 billion in damage and could deal a critical blow to Russia’s aerial capabilities as it could no longer manufacture more of these aircraft.

“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘Trojan Horse’

The audacious drone operation by Ukraine was compared to the legendary Trojan War between the Greeks and the city of Troy in Anatolia (now Turkey) in the 12th and 13th century BC, where a similarly deceptive attack was used to cripple enemy forces.

As per reports, Ukraine concealed at least 117 FPV drones in the ceilings of transportation containers, along with mobile wooden cabins. The cabins were taken near major Russian airbases and opened remotely, and the drones swarmed and hammered Russia’s bomber fleet, demolishing nearly one-thirds of bombers Moscow has.

During the Trojan War, the Greeks had used deception to enter the city after a 10-year siege by constructing a giant wooden horse, disguising it as a gift that hinted at a truce. However, Greek soldiers were hiding inside the wooden horse, and once it was brought into the city, they emerged and went on to destroy Troy.

‘Pearl Harbour’

The drone attack is also being called Russia’s Pearl Harbour, referring to the surprise Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, which paved the way for the entry of America into World War II and marked a critical point in world history.

After more than three years of war between Russia and Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army unleashed a devastating attack on Russia’s nuclear bombers and warplanes, which were originally designed to destroy the atomic weapons of the United States and Europe in case an all-out war broke out. Exploiting gaps in Russian intelligence, Ukrainian forces used a covert mission to deal a critical blow to Russia’s bomber fleet.

Ukraine destroyed Russia’s TU-95 “Bear" nuclear bombers, TU-22 “Backfire" fast-attack bombers and A-50 “Mainstay" command-and-control jets in the strike. These warplanes were at the heart of cruise missile strikes in Ukraine.

This attack was reminiscent of Imperial Japan’s surprise attack on the strategic Pearl Harbour base on December 7, 1941. As tensions between the US and Japan increased, Japanese forces launched pre-emptive strikes targeting airfields, battleships and other facilities at the naval base.

Japan managed to damage or sink at least 8 US battleships, while damaging or destroying three cruisers, three destroyers and 188 aircraft. More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the attack. On the next day, the US declared war on Japan and formally entered World War II.

Why Is Ukraine’s Attack Significant?

Ukraine’s SBU said that ‘Operation Spider’s Web’ was being planned for around 18 months. It differed from the sort of attacks Ukraine had unleashed so far, which were closer to areas adjoining Russia’s border. This time, drones were used 4,000 km from the border, reaching as far as Siberia.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed on Telegram that several of its military aircraft “caught fire", adding that there were no casualties. Russian authorities said it had arrested several suspects, including the driver of a truck from which a drone had taken off, state agencies said.

The impact of the drone strike also provided insight into the changing modes of modern warfare. Rybar, a Telegram account that is close to the Russian military, called it a “very heavy blow" for Moscow and pointed to what it called “serious errors" by Russian intelligence.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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Moscow, Russia

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News explainers 'Trojan Horse', 'Pearl Harbour': Decoding Terms Used For Ukraine’s Drone Attack On Russia