{
  "id": 12999856,
  "title": "Big Powers Plagued by Low-Cost, Asymmetric Attacks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/big-powers-plagued-by-low-cost-asymmetric-attacks",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T02:00:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
    "slug": "the-japan-news-by-the-yomiuri-shimbun",
    "url": "https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/editorial/insights-world/20261009-352825/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For over four and a half years, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has raged. It remains unclear when this war, initiated by the United States and Israel with Iran, will conclude. President Vladimir Putin of Russia and former U.S. President Donald Trump may be reflecting, \"This is not how things were meant to be.\" At the outset of the war in Ukraine, many anticipated a swift resolution, just a few weeks, christened a \"special operation.\" The looming Iran war mirrors this scenario, with the U.S.-Israel coalition vastly outpacing Iran in offensive prowess from the war's inception. This disparity was evident when Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other leaders, was assassinated. However, neither Ukraine nor Iran has yet succumbed. Their aim is not to emerge victorious but to prolong the battle and escalate the political and economic burdens on their adversaries. The concept of \"asymmetric warfare\" is frequently discussed in this context. Ukraine employs cost-effective drones, empowered by satellite intelligence, communications, cloud services, and artificial intelligence for airborne, maritime, underwater, and land-based strikes. These attacks target enemy troops, tanks, naval vessels, logistical infrastructure away from the front lines, and oil refineries, inflicting significant financial strain on Russia. Iran, in turn, is targeting Gulf Arab states and vessels attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and drones, effectively closing the strait and disrupting global energy supplies. Trump has incurred substantial political and economic expenses leading up to the midterm elections. In the realm of asymmetric warfare, the objective is to identify and exploit areas where the attacker's costs are minimal, yet significant for the enemy, hence ensuring victory without incurring losses oneself. Power dynamics are relative; forcing someone to undertake an unwanted action or refrain from one is a form of power. Asymmetric warfare provides a lever to gain power. Both Ukraine and Iran have grasped this concept. International relations encompass various dimensions, including military cooperation, financial ties, industrial capacity, energy resources, scientific and technological advancements. It is implausible for any nation to dominate every aspect over others. For instance, China is believed to control 60% of the world's rare earth mining and 90% of refining and separation facilities. However, it lags behind in the design, manufacturing, equipment, and materials for advanced semiconductors. This highlights that asymmetric warfare benefits from an international network. In Ukraine's drone warfare, U.S. satellite communications firm SpaceX's Starlink network, along with cloud computing and AI software from U.S. tech companies, play crucial roles. While Ukrainian companies assemble drones in large numbers, they seemingly depend on cheap Chinese supplies for many drone components, including motors, cameras, batteries, and video transmitters. These international connections are becoming increasingly interwoven. Nations with an asymmetric advantage in certain domains compel others to bear high burdens, asserting their influence, and erect barriers to prevent rival nations from acquiring an asymmetric edge. Instances include the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), utilized by Western nations to sanction adversaries such as Iran and Russia, and the U.S. trade restriction of Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. due to security apprehensions. The U.S. has added numerous other entities to its Entity List, barring financial dealings with these entities. The 2022 U.S.-China trade war, marked by tariffs on each other's goods, exemplifies this. Washington restricted China-bound shipments of AI semiconductors, semiconductor design software, and jet engines while Beijing retaliated by barring U.S. exports of rare earths. In light of weaponized interdependence in the modern era, what economic security policies should Japan adopt? We can examine two pivotal concepts: strategic autonomy and strategic indispensability. Strategic autonomy entails safeguarding a nation's populace and economy by fortifying the bedrock necessary for sustaining lives and socio-economic activities, like supply chains, foundational infrastructure, and advanced technologies, while averting overdependence on any single country. Strategic indispensability advocates expanding sectors that are indispensable to the global economy, enabling the country to secure enduring, sustainable growth.",
  "summary": "The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for more than 4½ years. There’s no telling when the war that the United States and Israel started with Iran will end. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely thinking, “This isn’t how things were supposed to go.”",
  "key_points": [
    "Ukraine uses low-cost drones and AI for asymmetric attacks on enemy targets.",
    "Iran targets Gulf Arab states and vessels in Strait of Hormuz with missiles and drones.",
    "Asymmetric warfare exploits minimal attacker costs for significant enemy burden."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The use of low-cost, asymmetric attacks by Ukraine and Iran is redefining power dynamics, allowing them to inflict significant financial and political strain on more powerful adversaries, and gain influence through strategic leverage.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}