Ukraine announced on the 1st (local time) that it struck four Russian air force bases. According to Ukrainian media, the operation, carried out under the codename Spiderweb, concealed more than 117 first-person view (FPV) drones disguised as cargo trucks, sending them to Russia and controlling them all at once to carry out the strikes. It has been reported that 41 strategic bombers, including the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M, suffered damage in this attack. The estimated cost of the damage is about $7 billion (approximately 9.7 trillion won).
The targets of the attack included the Belaya air force base in Irkutsk Province, Siberia, which is more than 4,300 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border. This marked the first time Ukraine has carried out an attack so far from its own borders since the outbreak of war in 2020. Russia has also previously mobilized 472 drones to conduct large-scale attacks since the war began.
The 'drone warfare' between Ukraine and Russia is rapidly advancing in scale and technology, emerging as a key weapon that could determine the outcome of the war. Initially, drones were asymmetric weapons hastily developed by Ukraine, which was being unilaterally outmatched by Russia in the early stages of the war. However, with Russia's large-scale introduction of Iranian-made drones and their immediate deployment in combat, drones have become lethal weapons for both sides.
As the war between Ukraine and Russia drags on, the development of drone technology is also accelerating. In the early days of the war, Ukrainian civilian drones were used for reconnaissance against Russia, with a single drone costing hundreds of thousands of won managing to destroy tanks valued at tens of billions of won. Over time, these drones have proven their capabilities, damaging everything from attack helicopters to naval vessels.
Afterward, Russia also introduced drones and unveiled the 'electronic warfare truck' that attacks drones with electronic signals. In an effort to turn the tide of the battle, Ukraine has focused on long-range flight capabilities and swarm technology. Swarm drones involve dozens to hundreds of drones performing missions together.
A characteristic of this strategy is that even if most drones are destroyed by a powerful air defense network, the surviving drones still manage to destroy key targets. Ukraine has successfully utilized swarm drones to strike strategic assets.
The South Korean defense industry is also paying attention to drones. As North Korea ramps up its asymmetric power enhancement with drones, drone technology and electronic jamming have become essential functions for the South Korean military. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un noted after observing a suicide drone performance test in March, "Unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence technology must be prioritized and developed."
Starting next year, Hyundai Rotem plans to implement a domestically developed active protection system (APS) with electronic jamming capabilities in its K2 tanks. The APS is a system that neutralizes attacks from guided missiles and suicide drones through electronic jamming before they hit the tank. Hanwha Aerospace has also begun developing reconnaissance drones in collaboration with the aviation tech company SOOMVI since January.
LIG Nex1 has completed the development of small reconnaissance and strike hybrid drones as well as transport drones. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) started developing core technologies for next-generation aerial combat systems, including manned and unmanned hybrid systems last year. The Defense Science Research Institute plans to showcase autonomous swarm flight technology capable of operating 50 drones at once.