Video shows Ukraine drone attack on Russian warplanes

Ukraine attacked four Russian airbases with more than 100 explosive drones smuggled inside containers that had been trucked deep inside the country by drivers unaware of what was in their cargo. The attack was planned over 18 months and destroyed or damaged several nuclear-capable long-range bombers. The targeted aircraft is the type that Russia has used to fire cruise missiles into Ukraine, including many civilian targets. Ukraine officials said the attack was on “absolutely legitimate” military targets.

Class discussion: The United Nations said more than 13,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 31,000 injured since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Are military attacks on civilians ever justified? Millions of civilians were killed by World War II bombs falling on cities, including two atomic bombs. Were any of those attacks prosecuted as war crimes? Ukraine’s ingenious attack exploited a much larger foe’s vulnerability. Could the United States suffer a similar loss of strategic weapons? Why or why not?