Front Burner

Cheap and deadly: How drones are reshaping war

From the Ukraine-Russia conflict to the Houthis in Yemen, drones are changing the way that wars are fought.
A photo of a screen shows a plane on fire.
In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. (Source in the Ukrainian Security Service via AP) (Source in the Ukrainian Security Service/The Associated Press)

On Sunday, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web, a surprise drone attack that went deep inside Russia, reaching as far as Siberia for the first time. 

Ukraine says 117 drones were smuggled into Russia, hidden in the roofs of wooden sheds and later loaded onto the backs of trucks then launched remotely. The result was an enormous blow to Russia's strategic bomber fleet.

Cheaper than traditional weapons and commercially available, drones have become increasingly important to both sides of the Ukraine-Russia war and in conflicts around the world. 

Josh Schwartz, an assistant professor of international relations at Carnegie Mellon University, joins the show to explain how they are transforming modern warfare.  

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