Ukraine is quietly building a new class of weapons — drone-powered cruise missiles that are small, cheap, and deadly. Ukrainian arms expert Bohdan Dolintse told ArmyInform that these new systems blend drone and missile technologies into a hybrid “drone-missile” category.

The development comes in the wake of Operation Web, widely seen as a watershed in modern warfare, where Ukraine used synchronized drone swarms to destroy high-value Russian assets, reshaping global perceptions of non-nuclear deterrence.

Now, Kyiv is scaling up. If serial production is launched, Dolintse says, Ukraine could manufacture hundreds of these precision-guided munitions monthly.

Though still in development or limited deployment, their battlefield potential is vast — from striking air defense and radar sites to disabling critical logistics nodes deep behind enemy lines.

“This is a scalpel — a precise, mobile solution to hit vulnerable yet decisive targets,” Dolintse emphasizes.

Highly modular, these missiles can be launched from aircraft, drones, or ground platforms. Instead of a single $10 million missile, Ukraine envisions waves of compact, lethal munitions that can shift the balance of power in the skies — and the future of warfare itself.

Allies confirm that Ukraine’s path to NATO is irreversible at the Vilnius summit. At the Bucharest Nine and Northern European summit in Vilnius on 2 June, Ukraine’s partners reaffirmed that the country is firmly on course to join NATO and approved new aid packages, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.

The Bucharest Nine format includes Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Northern European nations Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden joined the group.

The summit aimed to align security positions, boost cooperation along NATO’s eastern flank, and discuss support for Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, UkrInform reports. 

President Zelenskyy briefed the participants of the Vilnius summit on the Security Service of Ukraine’s Web operation, calling it a demonstration of what modern warfare looks like and the importance of technological superiority.

Earlier, Swedish politician and former Prime Minister Carl Bildt, referring to this operation, said that even 007 movies haven’t imagined something like this. 

Russia cannot produce new Tu-160s or Tu-95s — only repair Soviet-era ones, says expert after Ukraine’s historic Spiderweb operation

The Bucharest Nine and Northern European countries pledged continued political, military, economic, and humanitarian support to Ukraine in pursuit of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.

The summit declaration also emphasized that the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague must demonstrate the Alliance’s unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that all 32 NATO allies in Washington reaffirmed Ukraine’s irreversible path to membership, though no timeline has been set.

He added that Russia remains a long-term threat to NATO, rapidly building its military potential and working closely with China, North Korea, and Iran. To address these threats now and in the next 3, 5, or 7 years, NATO allies must increase defense spending and strengthen the defense industry.

The declaration adopted at the summit also condemns any form of support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, calling for an end to all aid enabling it from China, Iran, and North Korea. 

Ukrainian drones struck Russian airfields, prompting international airlines to reconsider continuing operations in Russia.

The world’s largest long-haul carrier, Emirates, says it plans to review its flights to Russia. This decision comes amid Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian soil, which have caused flight cancellations and route changes, according to company president Tim Clark, Bloomberg reports. 

He adds that the airline does not currently plan to reduce the number of flights but will monitor the situation closely.

“This latest event was a little more worrying. As things get a little bit more acute, if I can use that word, we’ll be reviewing all of this,” Clark notes. 

Clark also reveals that Emirates has developed “ironclad” contingency plans, including carrying enough fuel for pilots to exit Russian airspace or avoid landing near Moscow if necessary.

Emirates and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus remain among the few foreign airlines still flying to Russia, while others abandoned this market after 24 February 2022.

Earlier, Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, said that Russia has no way to replace the aircraft it lost in the Operation Web. Among the lost jets, the Tu-160 supersonic missile carriers, developed during the Soviet era, are especially valuable.

Russia cannot produce new Tu-160s or Tu-95s — only repair Soviet-era ones, says expert after Ukraine’s historic Spiderweb operation

He noted that Russia has only about 18 of them left, and not a single one was built from scratch after the Soviet Union collapsed.

The coordination center of the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) operation Web on Russian territory was located directly next to one of the FSB’s regional offices, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UkrInform reports. 

On 1 June, the SBU carried out a unique special operation called Web (Pavutynnia), launching smart FPV-drone strikes on four Russian airbases. As a result of the operation, over 40 aircraft were struck, including A-50 radar planes, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 bombers. The estimated value of the destroyed bombers exceeds $7 billion. Russia used them to target Ukrainian civilians. 

In his daily address to the nation, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the SBU, especially to the agency’s chief, General Vasyl Maliuk, and to everyone involved in the operation.

According to him, the operation was in preparation for more than a year and a half.

“The planning, coordination, and every detail were perfectly prepared. The most interesting part, something we can already say publicly, is that the office for our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to a regional FSB office,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that 117 drones were used in the operation, each operated by a separate team.

“As a result, 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers at their airbases were hit. Our people were active across different Russian regions in three time zones,” the Ukrainian leader reported.

All personnel involved in preparing Operation Web were successfully withdrawn from Russian territory in time.

“Of course, we can’t reveal everything yet, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be recorded in history books. Ukraine is defending itself, and rightfully so. We are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war. Russia started this war. Russia must end it,” the president stated.

Meanwhile, many politicians and journalists have reacted to the operation, saying that Ukraine surprisingly has the cards. They hint at US President Donald Trump’s statement that Kyiv does not have the conditions to dictate its terms in peace negotiations. 

For instance, American billionaire Elon Musk, who is known for his ambiguous stance on the war in Ukraine, has also commented on the strikes. 

He responded in the comments under a post by another user who had praised the Ukrainian operation. Musk highlighted the operation’s technological aspect, saying that “Drones are the future of warfare. Manned aircraft are not.”

Russia bombs Ukrainian schools and children’s hospitals. Kyiv hits back with strikes on Moscow’s aircraft.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the estimated value of the aircraft destroyed or damaged during the special operation “Web” is approximately $7 billion.

The agency notes that a total of 34% of Russia’s strategic missile carriers based at their main airfields were hit in the operation. The SBU promises to release more details about the mission later.

“You thought Ukraine was that simple? Ukraine is super. Ukraine is unique. It has endured the steamrollers of history. In today’s world, it is priceless,” the SBU press service stated, quoting prominent Ukrainian writer Lina Kostenko. 

Meanwhile, CBS News reports that the White House has not been informed in advance of Ukraine’s plans to carry out a large-scale strike on Russian strategic aviation. It summarizes the day’s events and adds that White House spokespeople declined to comment on the Ukrainian strike. This information has also been confirmed by Axios, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official.

Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, has called Ukraine’s unique special operation targeting Russian airfields “a modern version of the Budapest Memorandum.”

“Meticulous work. Impressive results,” Ruslan Stefanchuk writes on social media, assessing the scale of the Web operation on Russian territory.

Thanks to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, and everyone involved in this operation for ensuring the non-nuclear status of the aggressor state, Stefanchuk adds.

He emphasizes that for those fighting for their land, no goals are too distant.

On 1 June, the Security Service of Ukraine and Defense Intelligence conducted the unprecedented “Web” operation, during which FPV-drones were brought to Russia in trucks and released from them to target four Russian airfields: Byelaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo.

As a result, over 40 Russian aircraft were damaged, including the A-50 reconnaissance plane and strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-22M3.

Preparation for the operation took over one and a half years. President Zelenskyy personally oversaw the operation, while Head of the SBU Vasyl Maliuk and his team managed its execution.