Ukrainian drones hit a significant amount of Tu-95MS, Tu-22 M33 and A-50s(reportedly 40+ in total)

[52051]

I hope Chinese military are watching and taking their notes!

Such operation is almost impossible in China.

I am in AI/big data business, police and national securiy agency were/are the one of the biggest customers for AI/big data tech in China for years.

First of all, China has large AI networks for national security, supervisoring all money transfers within China, and we also have big-data and AI for national security to track all sensitive material transfers, needless to say probably billions of CCTV networked to national security center.

The AI will automatically connect the dots and give police red-alter to potential criminal acts.

You cannot even buy spare parts and assmebly an airgun in China without being caught by police nowadays, the AI will automactally studied your behaviors in the past to guess what you are plan to do in the future.

There is no way in hell someone can assembly so many attack UAV in China without some high red alter pop up in our national security agency's monitor screen.

 

[Developereo]

There is no way in hell someone can assembly so many attack UAV in China without some high red alter pop up in our national security agency's monitor screen.

I thought these were fully assembled small drones smuggled from Ukraine inside wooden crates in trucks. The drones did not need to travel hundreds of miles. They were released just outside the airbase. Each kamikaze drone had to travel a few hundred meters and crash into a target.

 

[SecularNationalist]

Damn what a blow.
Drones are real pain in the bum these days. You no longer need billion dollar worth of jets to hit high value targets.

 

[Developereo]

Damn what a blow.
Drones are real pain in the bum these days. You no longer need billion dollar worth of jets to hit high value targets.

This is just the beginning.

Countries have been working on microdrones and nanodrones for at least a decade, the size of a sparrow or even an insect. Now the Ai tech has advanced to the point where they can operate autonomously if the operator link is lost.

The following is in the civilian space so you can imagine where the secret military tech is.

https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/NVU/02951893.pdf

Nanoveu subsidiary, EMASS, has successfully demonstrated ECS-DoT’s ability to complete a full “sense–think–act” loop at 50 Hz in PX4/Gazebo Hardware in loop (HIL) tests — the chip can process flight data and adjust propeller output 50 times per second (50 Hz) in real-time simulation tests; fast enough for many real-time control systems enabling the rapid feedback needed for stable flight.

 

[52051]

I thought these were fully assembled small drones smuggled from Ukraine inside wooden crates in trucks. The drones did not need to travel hundreds of miles. They were released just outside the airbase. Each kamikaze drone had to travel a few hundred meters and crash into a target.

In China, you cannot transfer large sum of UAVS without proper liscenses, since flying unregulared UAVs is illegal in China, it can be stopped at any of the highway/national way main entrance, which has police and exposive material detectors and x-rays.

And no, you cannot smuggle large sum of exposive materials from outside of China, you can barely smuggle a single gun from outside of China, let long a truck full of unliscenced UAV and expolsive materials.

And you cannot buy large sum materials that can be used to make explosive stuff inside of China either, thanks to China's AI seucrity network.

 

[Salza]

Apparently trucks were used to smuggle the drones close to the bases. Major intelligence operation by Ukraine and its European allies and major Russian intelligence failure at the same time. This kind of operation takes weeks even months to conduct. Probably Zelensky and his Europeans friends want to sabotage the talks which were scheduled for today in Istanbul. Russia had tacit Trump administration approval for a deal to stop the war but now it looks like Russian response is imminent. And the response can be tactical usage nuclear bombs.

This is major decisive development in this 3 years of Russia Ukraine war. Keep an eye on this. This is going to get very dirty moving forward if talks fail today in Istanbul.

 

[LeGenD]

With thousands of cheap 1,000 km range Shahed drones, no need for expensive strategic bombers in modern war.

Large aircraft such as bombers provide unmatched magazine depth and strike options. Shahed drones are best suited for attacking civil infrastructure instead of military infrastructure but many are lost over Ukraine:

Russian Lancet-3 is a drone that is built to attack military infrastructure and have lodged impressive kills. This drone warrants attention.

However, Operation Spiderweb shows that Ukraine have developed some excellent drones to attack military infrastructure. Technology and tactics used in this operation warrants attention.

 

[Yommie]

Air Power have no substitute in war, bombers provide unmatched magazine depth and strike options. Shahed drones are best suited for attacking civil infrastructure instead of military infrastructure but many are lost over Ukraine:

Russian Lancet-3 is a drone that is built to attack military infrastructure and have lodged impressive kills. This is the drone that warrants attention.

However, Operation Spiderweb shows that Ukraine have developed some excellent drones to attack military infrastructure. Technology and tactics used in this operation warrants attention.

Everything from small KVN fiber optic quadcopters to giant Sirius CAS drones play an important role in Russia's comprehensive drone warfare strategy.

https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/04/26/russia-starts-mass-production-of-knyaz-vandal-fiber-optic-drone/

Kronshtadt Sirius - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[j_hungary]

The simple anwer to this drone problem is to build hangers for these large assets, and to have the planes in the hangers when they are not being used !!!!!

How much is a hanger? $1-2m ?? Is that such a heavy spend for a $200-300 million dollar asset ?????

This has to be a lesson for Pakistan given how lax airbase defence is for Pakistan. Look at the Erieye and P3C losses that Pakistan has suffered.

You can bet that India is now training her proxy terrorists to conduct this type of operation against Pakistan bases.

You are talking about what a rational actor should act, Russian is all but rational at this point.

Let me give you an example, when I was in Ukraine I looked at some Russian (Around 20) captured off some op, none of them have an IFAK kit, you are talking about a $20 kit that can actually save a life in battlefield, how much is a Soldier worth to you? I bet it worth more than $20.

And you are talking about them building hardened structure to host that equipment.

 

[LeGenD]

Everything from small KVN fiber optic quadcopters to giant Sirius CAS drones play an important role in Russia's comprehensive drone warfare strategy.

https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/04/26/russia-starts-mass-production-of-knyaz-vandal-fiber-optic-drone/

Kronshtadt Sirius - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Agreed. My point was that Shahed drones are outclassed in the region. There are other more important drone designs that warrant attention and study.

 

[NGAD IS THE BEST]

Ukraine is not small. It used to be the main Soviet country and is in no way weaker than Russia. Ukraine has thousands of tanks, far more than any other European country.

He said military wise Ukraine is nowhere near the Russian military might on paper

 

[Yommie]

He said military wise Ukraine is nowhere near the Russian military might on paper

Ukraine had just as many tanks as Russia did. And probably even more. Ukraine was the frontline of the Soviets against NATO. It was on the border. Russia was not a frontline country of the Soviets.

 

[KingQamaR]

According to the nuclear agreement between Russia and the United States, neither country's bombers can be hidden in hangars.

This will affect the nuclear weapons treaty between the US. and Russia. You are right, There's a treaty to make nuclear carriers visible by satellites between the two countries. The US planes can also be seen by Russia and vice versa. This assures mutual security and trust.

 

[j_hungary]

According to the nuclear agreement between Russia and the United States, neither country's bombers can be hidden in hangars.

That's only for 30-minute ready bomber (or the term "deployed" bomber) not all nuclear capable equipment were forbidden to put inside a hanger.



There are stuff like looking glass that were on 24 hours standby, those have to be visible at all time, and they are all uniquely identified.

 

[NGAD IS THE BEST]

Ukraine had just as many tanks as Russia did. And probably even more. Ukraine was the frontline of the Soviets against NATO. It was on the border. Russia was not a frontline country of the Soviets.

And all of their tanks are cold war origins, most of their air force jets are not updated to modern levels, and Soviet socialist republic of Ukraine was the part of Soviet Union/Russia, so can't say that Russians were not a frontline country against NATO

So your claim is ridiculous and absurd lol