Author: James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

Ukraine recently launched a long-range drone strike on a Russian ammunition depot in the Tver region of Russia. Ukraine followed up the strike with additional drone strikes near Tver and Krasnador. These strikes were notable for two reasons. First, the destruction may represent Ukraine’s most successful drone strikes in the current phase of the Russia-Ukraine war. Second, Toropets, where the first strike took place, is approximately 480 kilometres from the Russia-Ukraine border. The success of the attack has caused considerable elation among Ukraine’s supporters. The drone strikes, however, will not fundamentally alter the current battlefield. But they are part of…