Implications of Ukraine’s Drone Strikes

On June 1, Ukraine conducted coordinated drone attacks on four Russian airbases—its most extensive strike against Russian military infrastructure to date. These attacks appear to reflect both Kyiv’s growing reliance on long-range unmanned systems and its efforts to impose greater costs on Russia’s war effort inside Russian territory. The strikes raise important questions about how Russia may respond, the broader trajectory of the conflict, and how these developments could affect ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire and, eventually, a negotiated settlement.

On June 5, the Center for the National Interest welcomed two expert speakers to assess the implications of these events:

—George Beebe is Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. A former senior CIA analyst and advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney on Russia, Beebe brings deep experience in U.S.-Russia relations and strategic analysis.

—Paul J. Saunders is President of the Center for the National Interest and a former U.S. State Department senior advisor. He writes frequently on U.S.-Russia relations and international security.

Jacob Heilbrunn, the editor of The National Interest, moderated the discussion.