In what may prove a turning point in Europe's largest war since 1945, Ukraine has launched its boldest attack yet — striking four Russian air bases, including one deep in Siberia. Using 117 drones in a meticulously coordinated operation, Kyiv claims to have damaged or destroyed 40 aircraft — nearly a third of Russia's strategic bombers. The sheer scale, distance and success of the strike mark a significant escalation.
Dubbed 'Operation Spiderweb', the attack is being compared by some to Pearl Harbor. Russia's belief in its own territorial invincibility has been pierced.
Ukraine has shown that it can strike not just at military outposts near the frontlines, but at the core of Moscow's strategic depth. This comes just a day before long-stalled peace talks resumed in Istanbul — a calculated message from Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear that peace cannot come at the price of rewarding Russian aggression. Ukraine's readiness to strike so far behind enemy lines gives it new leverage, and changes the tone of negotiations.
Kyiv enters not as a weakened party seeking compromise, but as a state still very much in control of its military capabilities. But this also raises the stakes - for everyone.
The world must now confront the fact that the war may not wind down so easily. It is evolving. And with every evolution comes the risk of a wider, more unpredictable conflict.
If Russia chooses to respond with escalation, especially with the support of allies like Iran or North Korea, the fallout may not remain confined to Eastern Europe. Ukraine's attack may not end the war. But it has ended the illusion that this conflict can be managed through patience alone.
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