The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine, which reportedly lasted for barely an hour, concluded on Monday in Istanbul. Barring a potential prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. The talks took place against the backdrop of Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web”, in which a swarm of drones targeted at least five military airbases deep within Russian territory, reportedly destroying 41 bomber aircraft. This offensive comes just a week after Russia’s massive aerial assault — 367 drones and missiles — on Ukraine, including its capital, marking the largest such attack of the war so far. Operation Spider’s Web involved 117 FPV (first-person view) drones that had been covertly smuggled into Russia and concealed within trucks. These drones were remotely activated, allowing them to take off and strike their targets — some as far as 4,000 km away in Siberia.
The operation highlights not only the growing prominence of drones in modern warfare but also the expanding scope of their application. It underscores the potential of an underdog riding on technological innovation in asymmetric warfare. During the infamous Trump–Zelenskyy spat in February, the US President had remarked, “You don’t have the cards.” Yet, Ukraine continues to defy expectations with its combat adaptability. Drones have become a defining feature of contemporary military conflicts. Their ability to loiter, evade detection, and strike with precision has made them a high-value, low-cost tool. Their use has been extensive in conflicts like Russia–Ukraine, Armenia–Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh), and the Syrian civil war. India, too, encountered its first drone conflict last month in an exchange with Pakistan, even though there were differing tactics — Pakistan tried to overwhelm India’s aerial defence while India went for precision.
Operation Spider’s Web is sure to affect President Vladimir Putin’s strongman image, especially among domestic audiences. There are strong chances that the escalation will harden the positions of both sides. At the Istanbul meeting, Moscow reportedly rejected Kyiv’s offer of an unconditional ceasefire. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and insists Kyiv must relinquish it, envisioning a permanently “neutral” Ukraine. Kyiv, on the other hand, demands a full Russian withdrawal and seeks NATO membership. While the first round of talks produced the largest prisoner exchange of the conflict so far, it offered little indication of an end to the hostilities. The latest round of talks hasn’t achieved much, either.
