Assessing the Legality of Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spiderweb’ Drones Under Article 36 of Additional Protocol I

On 1 June 2025, Ukraine executed a bold and unprecedented military operation, codenamed "Operation Spiderweb," targeting Russian strategic bombers deep within Russian territory. Utilising over 100 one-way attack drones, Ukraine struck multiple airbases across five Russian regions, reportedly damaging or destroying approximately 41 aircraft.

This blog considers the Article 36 legal review of Ukraine’s drones used during Operation Spiderweb.