According to information on February 24, 2024, Ukraine confirmed that its *** department and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense acted jointly to carry out an attack on the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Complex on the territory of Russia using drones. The attack, which took place in the early hours of the same day, was one of the attacks carried out by Ukraine against targets on the Russian mainland after the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, reflecting the continuation of the trend of unmanned warfare in the form of asymmetric warfare in the conflict.
Ukraine's use of drones to strike targets on Russian soil shows the importance of drone technology in modern warfare to change the pattern of communication and warfare, and the possibility of adopting an asymmetric strategy in the face of power disparity. Such attacks are not limited to direct confrontation on the battlefield, but also extend to the critical infrastructure of the adversary's hinterland, designed to weaken the adversary's economic and military capabilities, while also potentially having an international impact to rally more support or force the other side back to the negotiating table.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine has been trying to use long-range precision strike systems, such as drones, to strike at Russia's critical infrastructure and military-related facilities in response to Russia's military operations on Ukrainian territory and to try to weaken Russia's war potential. At the same time, it also reflects the continuous evolution of the use of technology and strategies and tactics on both sides of the conflict.
But Russia will not sit idly by, and it is believed that something will be done soon.