Russia’s Defense Ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks, saying they damaged aircraft and sparked fires on air bases in the Irkutsk region, as well as the Murmansk region in the north. It said strikes were also repelled in the Amur region in Russia’s Far East and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.

The drone strikes on Russian air force bases weaken Moscow’s ability to wage war on its neighbor and undermine its capacity to threaten more distant rivals.

For global militaries and political leadership, the lessons are clear: adapt to new paradigms, invest in counter-drone capabilities, and rethink traditional defense models, writes Major General Dilawar Singh as he explores learnings from Russia-Ukraine conflict.