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New Delhi. When the war between Russia and Ukraine started, no country in the world had thought that this war would continue and would never end. India’s enemy number one Pakistan also tried to adopt this method of war. Yes, in the same manner as the Russia-Ukraine war, Pakistan launched more than 500 low-cost, crude drones into Indian airspace on the night of 8-9 May, targeting about 36 military bases.

The main target of the drones was from Leh in Ladakh to Sir Creek in Gujarat. While most of the drones were less powerful and were easily intercepted. Defense expert and former Major General Rajan Kochar says that along with the intention of sending such drones into the Indian border, the aim of the aggressor was also to cause direct damage, but Indian air defense resources foiled all the intentions of Pakistan.

The probe was a multi-pronged strategy to exploit vulnerabilities and potentially compromise radar coverage and response times. It was not just an airspace intrusion. It was also a ploy to test our defences, force resource expenditure and gather data,” a senior military official told News24.

According to the information, this strategy was prepared to counter Russia’s use of Iranian-made Shahed drones in Ukraine. These drones are often supplied to Western countries. Pakistan’s drone attacks made it clear that it tried to collect intelligence on India by sending light drones, but the Indian Army used expensive missiles to destroy the Pakistani drones.

Let us tell you that the deployment of Chinese commercial-grade or locally modified drones, including the Turkish-made Asysgard Songar UAV. Major Indian military hubs such as Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Adampur and even Bhuj and Sir Creek were also tried to be damaged by the Pakistanis with their light drones.

The waves in the swarm of Pak drones included small quadcopters, larger UAVs and mother drone guide clusters. According to forensic investigation, many of the drones carried no explosives, only stone pellets or empty casings. According to the Indian Army, these were probably for reconnaissance and electronic surveillance rather than direct attacks.

Indian defence sources told News24 that Pakistan was trying its best to make India use its radar system as much as possible and also its air defence system as much as possible so that important data could be accessed by cyber hackers sitting in Pakistan.

Colonel Sofia Qureshi confirmed that the drones were accompanied by intense gunfire at 20 locations along the LOC. She had told a press briefing that it was a coordinated hybrid offensive. Our army responded with both kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to neutralise the threat. India deployed a mix of systems—L-70 and ZU-23 mm guns, Shilka platforms, DRDO’s electronic warfare suites and jamming technologies—to shoot down or disable more than 70 drones 20 soft and 50 hard kills. Many others returned to Pakistani territory after being intercepted. The drones, described as “off-the-shelf” or “garage-modified”, were used by the Pakistani forces.

Let us tell you that the Pakistani military’s ploy is not just to carry out terrorist attacks. Its ploy is also to wage economic war because according to estimates, the cost of the Pakistani drone is only 10,000 (ten thousand rupees) and the Indian Army is using its missile worth Rs 2 crore to shoot it down. Amidst the drone attacks, Pakistan also launched artillery and mortar attacks along the LoC. The bombing killed two Indian civilians and injured three, taking the death toll to 18.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had spoken about the loss of two school children in Machil, where a shell landed near a primary school and damage to a Christian convent in the area. This is not just a military action but a shocking act of humanity, which can also be called a cowardly act. Following the drone action by Pakistan Army, Indian armed drones attacked several Pakistani military installations. Reportedly disabling an air defense radar in Lahore.

India meanwhile lodged strong diplomatic protests and suspended operations in the Kartarpur corridor, citing security concerns. Indian officials also shared flight tracking data that indicated Pakistan kept its civilian airspace open during the operation, a move that was interpreted as an attempt to use civilian aircraft as cover during hostile operations. Pakistan not only violated Indian airspace but also international aviation norms.

Colonel Qureshi has informed that a new chapter has been written in hybrid conflict. This drone offensive reflects a possible shift in Pakistan’s approach from traditional cross-border skirmishes to technologically enabled, low-cost, asymmetric warfare aimed at surveillance, disruption and strategic messaging. India’s defense establishment has taken note, this is a wake-up call.