New Model Trojan Horse: Ukraine's Drones

Austin Bay on Jun 4, 2025

Bravo to Ukraine for its "New Model Trojan Horse."

Homer's Greek warriors slipped from a wooden horse to open Troy's gates and start the bloodbath that ended a 10-year war.

Ukraine cleverly and stealthily shipped wooden crates deep inside Russian territory, 1,500 kilometers into Siberia. The truck-borne crates were finally positioned a short suicide drone flight from scores of Russian bombers parked on airbases -- airbases no doubt protected from long-range aircraft and missile attacks, but unprepared for a "close in" drone attack.

Reports indicate up to 40 nuclear-capable bombers were destroyed or damaged, as well as at least one airborne warning and control plane.

A fabulous and effective surprise attack that seriously degrades Russia's ability to deliver nuclear weapons, large bomb loads and long-range attack missiles not only in the Kremlin's war on Ukraine but against any adversary -- NATO, Japan, U.S. But also China. China covets Siberia.

Degrades, but doesn't stop. Russia can still bombard Ukraine, so the Trojan drones won't end this war with a quick coup de grace.

That attack, however, was a brilliant operational success dealing Russia a significant military defeat. Vladimir Putin also suffers a deep political wound.

That said, hyperbolic praise from major media calling the attack totally new and revolutionary misses the key point -- and misses badly.

Indeed, Ukraine employed relatively new technology -- inexpensive armed drones launched and guided by digital systems. Yes, Ukraine used tactical (short-range) weapons to destroy Russian strategic platforms (long-range, strategic bombers).

The tech was vital, but it wasn't the decisive factor -- like Israel's Grim Beeper operation, stealth made Ukraine's drone victory possible.

Israel's Grim Beeper attacks used 21st-century technology to conduct precision sniper attacks that killed or maimed key Hezbollah leaders with the punch of a button.

The tech was fantastic. But the stealth was excellent throughout the operations, from manufacturing the devices to placing them in Hezbollah's supply chain while convincing Hezbollah's paranoid leaders to buy the beepers. That detailed, careful covert effort set the conditions for the pinpoint tech ambush that strategically devastated the terrorist group's political and military command structure.

Grim Beeper also sent this message: Everyone can be targeted remotely -- possibly hundreds of kilometers distant, and the attacker doesn't have to place his personnel and high-end offensive delivery systems (e.g., jet aircraft) in peril. The targeting can be very precise (an individual) and collateral damage minimal, compared to an aircraft-delivered one-ton bomb.

The attacker, however, has to get the gee-whiz technology into the target area. It took the Israelis years to design and position the Grim Beepers.

Ukraine reports its intelligence service worked on Operation Spiderweb for about two years. Consider the complex mission and the absolute secrecy and operational security required: designing and testing special containers, identifying high-value targets, smuggling the containers and drones into Russia, finding Russian trucks capable of carrying the containers, and then recruiting (or duping) truck drivers to move the containers up to 2,000 kilometers by road without discovery to launch the drones and badly damage strategic bombers the Russian dictatorship thought were secure in distant Siberia or isolated northern Russia.

Big airbases and big commercial airports are vulnerable to attack. In a column published Dec. 24, 2024, I used the media's Great Drone Hysteria as a news hook to discuss terrorist or enemy adversary drone strikes inside the U.S.

Here's the December 2024 scenario:

"I'm by Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. You're outside Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, South Dakota. The drones pass right over us. They're both the size of a two-seat Cessna and they carry bombs with small, smart, cheap and individually targetable munitions. In the next 45 seconds, the drones fly over the air bases. Their munitions disable a half-dozen B1B Lancer strategic bombers -- six at each airbase.

"Who launched the drones? A cartelista paid $200,000? A graduate student majoring in Marxist economics?

"The Big Picture: The two short-range and inexpensive tactical drone air strikes launched from U.S. soil have severely damaged American strategic offensive air power.

"Meanwhile, Communist China launches an attack on Taiwan.

"Have I written a novel? No. I've written a first strike war scenario that utilizes already available technology."

Ukraine pulled it off -- against tyrannical Putin's Russia. Bravo.

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To find out more about Austin Bay and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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